If students are taught the importance of protecting the environment as youngsters, then they’re more likely to put it into practice as adults.

That’s the hope of teachers at East Penn Elementary, who have been holding an annual Earth Day program for about 20 years.

“If we even reach one student, that they learn to reduce, reuse and recycle, then our job was successful,” said Rhonda Zerbe, a first-grade teacher at East Penn.

This year’s edition of the event was held on Friday. Students in grades K-4 visited stations around the building to do recycling and Earth Day-themed activities.

The weather subsided after a roller coaster week of sun and snow, so the students could get outside.

That was especially helpful for a station where students potted their own flowers to take home for mothers’ day.

Teachers created a game out of recycling, which included a race where students sorted through a pile of recyclables and then put them in the correct bin.

Inside the school, they painted rocks and decorated labels for their flower pots. They also got a lesson in density by placing a series of items in a tank of water and seeing if they would float.

Throughout it all, they learned the importance of recycling to help the Earth. Second-grader Marvin Stetler said he’s not a plant person, but more of a tech person. But he acknowledged that recycling is important, because he likes to play outside during the summer months.

“You have to recycle, it takes 1,000 years to have plastic go into the earth,” Stetler said.

It’s the last Earth Day for East Penn as students will transition to a new elementary center next year, but Zerbe hopes that it will continue on in some form.

Third graders said the activities taught them much about the importance of recycling. Of course, the recycling relay was a favorite activity.

“Banana peels, apples, all that are good for the earth, because it makes more ground,” Ayden Ammary said.

Many of them said they already recycle at home, and that the event would be a good reminder to think of the environment as they grow older.

“We learned how to keep the Earth clean,” Kaeden Hernandez said. “Sometimes the earth doesn’t like trash.”