Community Engagement

As part of a creative, “outside-the-box” initiative to support STEM education and sustainability, Stephanie helped design and execute a hands-on recycling effort with Dobyns-Bennett High School students. The program kicked off with a field trip to our Eastman recycling facility, where students engaged with an industry expert in a lecture, saw our processes firsthand, and gained insights into how plastic feedstock is recycled. Stephanie coordinated the logistics of the trip, helped prepare and deliver materials, and guided the students in assembling feedstock sample kits - both to reinforce their learning and to contribute structured volunteer hours for their Tennessee Promise scholarships. Building on this momentum, she supported the creation of a year-round recycling program at the school. Together, we collected and processed over 2,000 lbs of post-game plastic waste during football season, which was then delivered back to Eastman for proper recycling, closing the loop between education and action.