By John Weare, Keep Alliance Beautiful
ALLIANCE, Neb. - Recycling information is easy to come by though not always accurate. If you have children or grandchildren attending a school in Box Butte County ask them what they know. You may be surprised. Emma Steffy has been engaging with local elementary students this fall on the topic as education coordinator at Keep Alliance Beautiful.
Emma steps into the position previously held by Carlie Foster, who ended her stint with KAB at the end of the 2024-25 academic year. Third grade field day at the Alliance Recreation Center was Emma’s first activity after starting on Sept. 15. She has visited all the schools during the first quarter and scheduled times to return.
“I’m super excited to get started, super excited to work with these kids,” Emma said, as she emphasized the importance of teaching children how they can care for their environment from recycling to picking up litter. Emma already has a connection to the Alliance Public Schools having worked briefly as a secretary in the district office. She moved to Alliance three years ago, and her fiance has an aunt and uncle here. Originally from Alaska, she spent most of her life in Missouri.
“I just wanted a fresh start,” Emma said. “I heard the community was really good,” adding that she has been surrounded here by so many people with a supportive attitude and good work ethic. “That goes a long way.” Major components of the KAB education playbook will return. As I sat down to visit with Emma she had just ordered supplies for the Black Ops program where third graders complete a series of monthly missions. Also, there will be a scavenger hunt (starting Nov. 1) for America Recycles Day with items (empty plastic bottle, toilet paper or paper towel center, used envelope, empty aluminum can and empty cereal box) due Nov. 15. Collect everything on the list and return it to school or the recycling center. A separate classroom competition will award the room that collects the most recyclables with a pizza party.
This month, Emma said, second graders are reading “Michael Recycle" by Ellie Bethel and Ellie Patterson. She has also been helping with activities at Dobby’s Frontier Town and assisting Cynthia Horn with Friday classes at the Alliance Public Library. Emma said, “Whenever I’m needed I try to help.”
November promises to be a busy month for Emma with time invested in launching Black Ops for third grade. “As far as Black Ops the missions will be different from what Carlie had assigned them. I think it keeps it interesting. “Once we get in the swing of things in November I will work with second and fifth and also plan to include middle school kids later, I don’t want them to be bored with it,” she said.
Emma draws on her own experience when teaching about recycling and the environment. “I had a lot of teachers that educated me on the importance of recycling – I think it’s super important (the younger generation) learns this stuff. That’s why I’m here.” As the school year goes on Emma said she would like to “form a good overall basis and relationship with the students. . . . I’m very grateful to have this job because recycling and the environment have always been important to me.”