Our students had a great time making plarn this quarter with the RISE Institute. Plarn is yarn made from plastic bags and is used to create bed rolls by knitting the plarn (a process known as plarning).
This was a great opportunity for OLS students to discuss the social problem of housing insecurity in their cities and communities, and how many people are affected by it. They also learned about organizations involved in helping people with housing insecurity, and how they can get involved if they want to help others facing homelessness.
Students were also interested in learning about plastic bag use around the country, and how much waste is created in the world from single-use plastic bags. Since each bed roll is made from 800-900 plastic bags, this is a great way to re-use resources that might otherwise end up in a landfill. This helps our students gain information on conserving resources they can share with others.
This activity required the students to think critically about the issues of housing insecurity, sustainability, and conservation on both a local and global scale, and helped them feel connected to their community by making an impact in the lives of others.
Here’s what some of the students had to say about the experience:
“To take plastic bags, a useless yet so harmful addition to our environment, and crochet them into bedrolls was not only ingenious and resourceful way to combat the challenges of the homeless.” – T.J.
“I wonder how many other things can be made out of plastic bags that would also help the homeless.” – Anonymous
“As someone who cares about the planet, I can say without doubt, this activity taught me a lot about plastic bags and how they can be used for environmentally friendly and beneficial purposes.” – Anonymous
“This project made me want to do more for the homeless population.” – Jacob
The RISE Institute partners with Facing Homelessness, an organization focused on supporting people living on the streets.
Environment and Our Community is one of the many courses OLS Students take to obtain their associate degree from OLS. More information about our curriculum is available on our website. To learn more about our program register for an Information Session.
Last Updated October 12, 2021