A record number of Northwest Territories schools earned an all-time high in donations from Northwestel this year, in the 2009 Northwestel Directory Recycling Program. Students at fifteen schools in Yellowknife and four other Northwest Territories communities earned a total of $9950.00 by collecting out-dated Northwestel directories. The fifteen schools represent a student population of 3154 in Yellowknife, Fort Providence, Fort Smith, Fort Simpson and Hay River. In total, the students collected 6092 directories, which are being sent south for recycling.

Under the recycling program, schools are invited each spring to collect outdated Northwestel directories to qualify for cash awards from Northwestel for school programs and activities. Students, teachers and support staff obtain directories from family, friends and neighbours and bring them to collection boxes at their school. This year’s program took place during March and April.

This is the eighth year of the program, which began by involving Yellowknife schools only. Schools in Hay River and Fort Smith joined the program in 2007 and 2008 respectively. This was the first year that schools in Fort Providence and Fort Simpson participated in the program. The program’s expansion to new communities was assisted through a new partnership with Wesclean Northern Sales of Hay River. Wesclean approached Northwestel and offered to collect directories collected by schools in Fort Providence, Fort Resolution, Fort Simpson, Fort Smith and Hay River.

Under existing partnership arrangements, Northwestel provides the boxes for directory collection at each school and the City of Yellowknife coordinates the pickup of the directories from all schools within the city.

“The ongoing success of this program is very encouraging,” said Anne Kennedy, Northwestel Director Communications. “It’s gratifying to see such enthusiasm from so many students, schools and communities, no matter how large or small they might be. The directory recycling program was designed to promote environmental awareness and to assist schools with fundraising for environmental and other school activities, and we’re very proud of how it continues to reach more people and attain new levels of success each year.”

The schools that participated in the 2009 Directory Recycling Program are: