Things You'll Need:
- Petition Forms
- Volunteer Forms
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Step 1
Contact the principal or other leaders in the school to find out if you need permission before asking students and their parents to sign a petition. Some schools may allow this without asking, but other schools have policies in place for these types of situations. Ask first to avoid any strife---you do not want to get off on a bad foot.
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Step 2
Create a petition form using your favorite word processing software. Be sure to number the signature lines. At the top of each page, you should create a heading that states the purpose of the petition. Also be careful to only collect signatures from those associated with the school. A signature from your neighbor who has no children in the school is not going to help.
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Step 3
Collect signatures from students at the school (in a junior high or high school, but do not petition elementary children) as well as parents of students. Find out how many students attend the school and aim to get a total number of signatures equal to seventy percent of the student body.
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Step 4
Gather your facts. Find ways that the school could earn money through recycling cans and other trash and estimate how much the school could earn through these programs. Enlist help. Aside from the petition that says people want the school to recycle, create a second list of parents and students willing to get involved with driving cans to the recycling center or mailing empty chip bags to a recycler for money.
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Step 5
Present the petition, the facts on how the school can earn money, and your list of available volunteers to the school board. Be prepared to answer any questions they may have. The school board will vote on your proposal. If approved, you will likely be asked to head up the project, so be ready for some hard work.
