A group of 6th grade students at Jared Eliot School are hoping to witness just how big a change one person can make, not matter their age, thanks to a writing class project designed to ask restaurants to go straw-less to help the environment.

The idea for the project came when 6th grade teacher Brooke Mazzarella showed her writing class a public service announcement (PSA) about straws and the damage they can do to the oceans in early 2018.

The PSA, called #StopSucking, was made by www.strawlessocean.org and claims that the U.S. uses 500 million plastic straws each day, many of which end up in the ocean. It further states that at current rates, by 2050 there will be more plastic bits in the ocean than fish.

The students became so motivated by the PSA, they asked Mazzarella if she would teach them how to write a formal letter.

“Their letters came out really cool,” Mazzarella said.

Through the project, each student wrote a letter to his or her favorite restaurant, asking it takes steps to curb its use of straws. Mazzarella instructed the kids not to shame the restaurants for using the plastic, but offer suggestions like not giving straws unless people ask for them, not giving straws with refills, or using biodegradable paper straws.

For privacy concerns, Mazzarella said the letters won’t have kid’s names on them, and will be have the school as the return address. Mazzarella said many of the restaurants are local, but some of the students sent them as far away as Florida.

Mazzarella said that after editing the letters, she plans to send them out shortly.

“My goal was to figure out a way to have them help as middle school kids,” Mazzarella said.

While she acknowledges some of the ideas the kids suggested may be unrealistic, she felt this idea fit in with the purpose of a writing class. Mazzarella said after seeing how excited the kids were for this project, she would love to pursue this project again with future classes.

“Maybe we can look at cafeterias or other places that use plastic straws, too,” said Mazzarella.

Mazzarella said she is an avid scuba diver and wildlife lover. She also felt that the kids could relate to the message.

“Clinton is on the ocean, we get to experience and enjoy it, we don’t want it spoiled and to harm the environment,” Mazzarella said.

Mazzarella said that she and her students are “hoping to hear back” from some of the restaurants, and already has some students telling her about changes they’ve made.

“I’ll have kids tell me, ‘We went out to dinner and our family asked the waitress for no straws!’” Mazzarella said of the student’s excitement. “It makes me feel like the next generation can help us now and as they grow older.”