Artist Gail Ahlers, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) graduate, well-known for using recycled materials in her artwork, is now bringing recycling literacy into school classrooms through her Reading Adventures: Trash to Treasures STEAM program. Having grown up with dyslexia, Ahlers understands how important it is to address the different learning styles of children—visual, auditory, tactile and kinesthetic.

Dyslexia is a reading disorder that results from individual differences in areas of the brain that process language. Some children experience difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how to decode letters and words. Ahlers’ Creative Squad programs teach literacy, while blending in social-emotional learning (SEL), art, environmental education and fun. This whole-child approach to teaching supports and nurtures all areas of youth development and is a powerful strategy for helping students acquire grade-level reading proficiency.

In 2014, Ahlers founded The Empowerment Factory, a nonprofit based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, dedicated to giving children the skills they need to lead happier, healthier, more empowered lives. Her Trash to Treasures program stresses the importance of making good choices every day, and she aspires for every child to know that they matter and can make a difference in the world around them.

“We teach young minds how they can be a community hero by recycling, reusing and reducing their everyday objects,” says Ahlers. “We read books about recycling, the dangers of plastic waste and single use plastic. Then we put the process of recycling into practice, helping our students create individual pieces of artwork, as well as collaborating on one larger piece of artwork for public display.”

The Trash to Treasures activity book outlines a program comprised of eight lessons. Each session is based on a book related to the lesson. The book learning is reinforced with writing prompts, class discussion and creative art projects. Ahlers is encouraging and responsive to children’s understandings, interests and abilities, which allows them to deepen their natural curiosity and eagerness to want to learn more.

Ahlers explains, “As an artist, I enjoy teaching these children how to use hand tools, including a hammer, pop rivet tool and hand drill, as well as more traditional art materials. We offer students a safe environment to create art and express themselves.” Ahlers partners with local schools and community organizations.