Rockin` recycling: If you want to communicate, you have to speak the language. With that theory in mind, Charlie Hawkins, owner of Seahawk Associates in Glen Ellyn, found a way to teach teenagers about ecology:
through entertainment, especially good old rock `n` roll.
”It was a magic combination, using tools of entertainment and technology to deliver a message,” Hawkins said. ”What made it so neat was that the message was the right message for its time.”
Through his company, Hawkins puts together shows for corporate groups. When Dow Chemical asked for a show on the environment, Hawkins created an MTV- style variety show with music, video clips and comedy sketches, found a cast of Chicago-area talent, and took his show on the road.
”Recycle This!” premiered two years ago at Willowbrook High School in Villa Park.
”We pretty much knew we had something then, but we had no idea it would go on for a year and a half and end up touring internationally,” he said.
”The kids were blown away by it.”
A video of ”Recycle This!” just won a Silver Medal from New York Festivals for outstanding achievement in non-broadcast media. In the last year, Dow has distributed more than 20,000 complimentary copies of the video to schools around the country.
