JUNIOR COMMISSIONER PROGRAM
The KIC Junior Commissioner Program is a component of KIC's Education Program. KIC Junior Commissioners are High School students recommended by their school principal as having demonstrated environmental concern as well as social, civic and academic responsibility. These young people are officially sworn in as KIC Junior Commissioners by the Islip Town Board. KIC's objective is to enable and encourage these young citizens to play an active role in making Islip a cleaner and more beautiful place in which to live and to instill in them a sense of pride and ownership for their community.
A variety of projects have been successfully implemented by Junior Commissioners over the years. JCs have formed environmental or ecology clubs in their schools; some have organized large-scale cleanups in celebration of Earth Day; others have initiated battery or paper recycling programs. JCs help make the launch of our Sneaker Recycling Program a resounding success. Junior Commissioners attend community fairs and festivals and run the KIC information table. Several school groups, such as Honor Societies, Key Clubs, etc. work with the JCs to adopt various highways and spots throughout their communities or to create and nurture beautification sites.
Other projects in which JCs have been involved include T-shirt tie-dying and recycling, designing and implementing an exhibit for display in the KIC office window and a public library, formatting a newsletter and publicity materials, monitoring WRAP boards at local supermarkets, and presenting the KIC curriculum and "Graffiti Hurts" program through peer education sessions. The possibilities for meaningful participation are limitless!
The Junior Commissioners meet each month to exchange ideas, challenges and solutions with each other or to do a hands-on project. It is not KIC's intent to give JCs "assignments". Rather, we are here to help them in participating in the particular program that they feel would be most effective and beneficial to their individual communities. The term culminates with Great American Cleanup events in the spring.
At the end of each year, KIC's Executive Director furnishes each JC with a letter certifying that he or she has completed their community service work.
