Policy Success & Civic Leadership

On December 16, 2025, the Anchorage School Board unanimously passed our student-drafted resolution, protecting 43,000+ students and Alaska’s waterways from an estimated 2 billion microplastic particles annually, based on conservative classroom-use estimates and published microplastic particle counts.

School Board members put their reaction on record at the December 16 meeting:

Board President Carl Jacobs (2:14:25) — "Your process was incredibly impressive and professional, something I haven't seen in my four to five years on the board."

Board Member Margo Bellamy (2:06:42) — "Your testimony was amazing. I even learned a little bit. Thank you for your book. It's amazing. You guys covered every base with proper decorum."

Board Member Pat Higgins (2:11:21) —"Whenever I visited different schools, Harvard, Brown, Yale, I've attended, one of the things they talk about for admissions is they'll look for students that have been engaged in their community about improving their community... this is very valuable and it's appropriate."

Board Member Andy Holleman (2:12:37) — "My partner and I have a place that we go to in Maui repeatedly, and on walks up and down the beach... more and more I'm finding little blue specks... these things are too small to pick up. Once they're scattered, they will become part of the environment. There is no way to clean them up. So stopping it at the source is really thoughtful and an excellent thing for us to do... very impressed by your activism."

Board Member Kelly Lessens (2:07:55–2:11:00),— "The students behind this resolution have meaningfully engaged with at least four major stakeholders... the ASD administration, ASD educators, those art teachers, the ASD student advisory board, and the board itself," ... "these students preemptively took the time back in October to spend a day with ASD art teachers during a professional development day to assess their support for this initiative."

Board President Carl Jacobs Closing line from the discussion (2:14:48) — "No one up here is going to argue against glitter, but you made it impossible for us to do so even if we tried."

Official School Board Meeting Recordings

You can find a recording of the full December 16, 2025 meeting on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6hKJU27N0g&list=PL-8GvZQOwWUGVIpSr-n57BfdXs9g3JbLW&index=1

Our testimonies start at 1:21. Our mentor's testimony begins at 1:54. The school board's discussion and vote starts just before 2:06The previous December 2, 2025 meeting can be found at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcywNe6ZUHM&list=PL-8GvZQOwWUGVIpSr-n57BfdXs9g3JbLW&index=4

Our troop's public testimony starts at 1:19 and goes to just beyond 1:33. However, these testimonies are not consecutive.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Anchorage School District will:

a. Prohibit the purchase and distribution of plastic glitter in all classrooms, art programs, and school-

sponsored activities by the end of the current school year;

b. Encourage the adoption of biodegradable or natural alternatives for art and craft projects;

c. Educate students, staff, and families about the environmental and cultural impacts of microplastic

pollution, using resources developed in partnership with local organizations and student-led initiatives;

d. Lead by example as a sustainable district, reducing sources of microplastic pollution and protecting

Alaska’s waterways, wildlife, and communities for future generations; and

e. Recognize and celebrate the student and community leadership that brought this initiative forward,

encouraging continued youth engagement in environmental stewardship and civic participation.