Meeting Notes

At our September 2025 meeting we discussed:

• Advocacy around Albemarle County's proposed data center ordinance (the data center ordinance has since been paused)

• A GTA table at C3's Party for the Planet

• Improving environmental education in area elementary and middle schools by creating materials such as films and zines. We want to educate students about environmental issues before they reach high school by focusing on social justice and recycling/composting

• The possibility of students attending VCN Lobby Day in Richmond

• A lack of change/progress in school recycling and composting, and possible actions to initiate this change 

At our October 2025 meeting we discussed:

• A plan for writing a petition to the County and City school boards with suggestions to improve recycling and composting practices among students and staff

• An idea to have a poster contest for area high schoolers in order to raise more awareness about recycling and composting while helping with our in-school education efforts

At our November 2025 meeting we discussed:

• Edits to the draft of a letter to the Albemarle and Charlottesville school boards about improving recycling and composting practices in schools

• Ways to support education around recycling and composting if the school boards adopt our recommendations

• Projects being done by the various environmental clubs

• The possibility of attending VCN Lobby Day

At our December 2025 meeting we discussed:

• Feedback on the draft letter to the Albemarle and Charlottesville school boards about improving recycling and composting in schools, as well as how to collect signatures for this letter

At our February 2026 meeting we discussed:

• How teens could support advocacy against Tenaska's proposed gas plant in Fluvanna County

• Final updates for our recycling and composting petition, and strategies to collect signatures

At our April 2026 meeting we discussed:

• Progress on collecting signatures for the recycling and composting petition, and a plan to present the letter to the Albemarle and Charlottesville School Boards

At our May 2026 meeting we discussed:

• Progress on collecting signatures for the recycling and composting petition, and a plan to present the letter to the Albemarle and Charlottesville School Boards

• Recruitment for both the GTA and individual environmental clubs due to many members graduating

At our March 2025 meeting we discussed:

• Goals and Group Agreements (on the About page) for the GTA

• Problems around recycling and composting in area high schools, as well as how environmental clubs address these issues and promote responsible recycling and composting practices

• Projects that the environmental clubs are currently working on

At our April 2025 meeting we discussed:

• How to get involved in local climate advocacy around current policies (mainly by advocating for climate funding in the Albemarle County Draft Budget)

• Writing a sign-on letter to the Albemarle County and Charlottesville City school boards about improving recycling and composting practices within area schools

• A future outdoor service activity

At our May 2025 meeting we discussed:

• The successful advocacy from GTA members for climate funding in Albemarle's FY26 budget, which resulted in the inclusion of $300,000 dollars for implementing the County's Climate Action Plan!, as well as how much we accomplished while helping the Peabody School restore native prairie habitat at Darden Towe Park

• How to give a strong, well supported public comment to the Board of Supervisors/City Council

• Albemarle's draft solar ordinance

• Poor recycling and composting practices being a problem in schools around the country, and even in homes and businesses in the Charlottesville area, not just in area high schools