Conservation Delegate Program from Youth Squad®

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This pin and all program supplies are available from our partner site MakingFriends®.com.

Suggested Prerequisite

Youth Squad® Conservation Advocate Patch — **Conservation Advocate**

Completing the Conservation Advocate Patch Program® is a suggested prerequisite for earning your Conservation Delegate Pin. Your advocate experience will help provide you with the knowledge needed to become a delegate for the conservation of energy and resources. You can also opt to complete the Conservation Advocate requirements during the time you earn this Delegate pin.

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Requirement 1: Choose It!

Points to Consider When Choosing a Conservation Service Project:

How much food is wasted in restaurants? Helpful Link: The Startling Reality of Food Waste in Restaurants
How much food is wasted in Grocery Stores?: Helpful Link: Do You Know How Much Your Supermarket Wastes?
Food Expiration Dates: Helpful Link: Is Your Food Expired? Don’t Be So Quick to Toss It
What is the Food Recovery Hierarchy? Helpful Link: Sustainable Management of Food
What is the difference between food waste and food loss? Helpful Link: One-Third of Food Is Lost or Wasted: What Can Be Done

Learn about restaurant waste for your Conservation Delegate Pin

What is Earth Overshoot Day?: Helpful Link: Earth Overshoot Day
Should drug expiration dates be extended? Helpful Link: Expiration Dating Extension
What does it mean to be Green-e Certified? Helpful Link: Find Green-e Certified
What are alternative energy sources? Helpful Link:
11 Different Sources of Alternative Energy

Some Ideas:

Start a reuse store in your school. The store can donate the proceeds to a larger conservation effort like ArtofRecycle.org.
Host a Block Swap where your neighbors put out anything they no longer use and give each other the items.
Start a Trading Post section in your school newspaper where students can post for things they no longer need and post for things they are looking for.
Organize a Food Recovery Hierarchy plan in your community.
Start a neighborhood compost pile.

Form a team to participate in the EPA’s WasteWise program at your school.
Start a “Waste Not” competition among local businesses. Helpful Link: How to Plan a Waste Audit
Start a fundraising initiative for an organization like Food Cowboy. (Some organizations may not allow fundraising. Check with your organization first.)
Initiate a campaign to have local government buildings upgraded to be more energy efficient.
Make and maintain Little Free Libraries around your community.

Project considerations:

What are your skills and talents?
Do you need a mentor or adviser? Who will it be?
Will there be legal or permit issues to resolve?
How many others can you recruit to help?
Will your volunteers need special skills or training?
How many hours can you devote to the project?
Will there be a project deadline?
How much money will you be able to raise for the project?
Can you get a sponsor to help with the costs?

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Requirement 2: Plan it!

Goal Setting

Setting goals will help give you a long-term vision and short-term motivation. It helps you to organize your thoughts and determine exactly what needs to be done.

Decide exactly what you want to accomplish and give your project a name.
Break it down into smaller steps.
Set up a timeline.

Recruit Volunteers

Although smaller projects can be done alone, many projects will require a team. As the project delegate, one of your most important roles will be building a successful team. Helpful Link: 7 Super Steps to Recruit Volunteers.

Find a mentor with experience in your project area.
Enlist an Advocate to help you recruit volunteers. Consider using a volunteer release form especially if you are working with children. Helpful Link: Volunteer Release Form
Decide which jobs you can do alone.
Will you have teams?
How many people will you need for each team?

Take a look at the table below to get you started. You can copy and paste the table to use as a template for your project. You can set up an account for free or use your own method for organization.

Budgeting

Budgeting allows you to create a spending plan for your project. Sticking to your budget ensures that you will have enough money for the things you need to complete it. If you copied the table above you will see there is a section for budgeting.

Raise Money

There are many ways to raise money. If you are working with an organization such as Girl Scouts* check first to see what is allowed. Helpful Link: A Beginner’s Guide to Fundraising

Consider GoFundMe, CrowdRise, DonorsChoose, or Kickstarter.
Organize an event like a car wash, bake sale, or benefit dinner to raise awareness around your fundraiser.
Host an event such as a walkathon, run, or bike rides.
Ask local businesses and community members to donate items for a silent auction or a live auction.
Sales of customized products like tee shirts, pens, and buttons will not only raise funds but generate awareness about your project.
Invite the local media to your fundraiser or at least supply them with a photo and caption after the event.

Specific ideas for Conservation Fundraising

Get clever with your ideas. Think of things related to your cause. It will help bring awareness and set up a “fun” atmosphere, while raising the money you need to complete your cause.

Resell reusable water bottles with your message on them.
Organize a neighborhood garage sale.
Resell solar phone chargers.
Give recognition gifts for sponsorships. Set donation levels such as $20 for conservation pin, $40 for a tee shirt.
Make and sell cookies with the reduce, reuse recycle sign pressed into them.
Host a thrift store fashion show.

Ask neighbors to donate items to put in a consignment shop.
Host a prom where guest must wear thrift store clothes.
Organize a used book sale.

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Requirement 3: Do It!

You should now be ready to put your plan into action. Join in during your project to supervise and provide assistance at all levels.

After completing the plan, remember to thank the community.

Ways to say Thank You:

Personally thank individuals and businesses who helped. A handwritten letter is always nice. Helpful link: How to write a thank you letter.
Thank the community as a whole with posters.
Create a follow up press release and include the names of individuals and businesses who participated. Helpful link: How to write a press release.

Youth Squad® Volunteer Thank You Certificate

Give certificates of appreciation.
Thank the community as a whole on social media.

Congratulations on completing your clean air action project! The Conservation Delegate pin makes a great reward for completing your project. It also makes a great gift to program sponsors and mentors.

See all our current Delegate level pin programs:

Related Fun Patch Ideas

Note: Many of the links provided to assist with completing our Patch Program®s are external and do not imply an endorsement or recommendation. At the time of publication, external content was vetted to the best of our ability. Your views and ideas may vary and we do not intend for you to substitute our opinions for yours. Research the topic thoroughly before beginning a project. As always, make sure children access the internet only under safe-surfing conditions.

*youthsquad.makingfriends.com and MakingFriends®.com are not affiliated with, endorsed by or a licensee of Girl Scouts of the USA.