Local preschoolers create mascots from recycled materials

The national college basketball tournament may have been canceled, but children at The Goddard School located in North Aurora are hosting a competition of their own with an Earth Day twist.

Preschoolers are creating mascots for each of their classrooms from recycled materials to coincide with Earth Day. The mascots will be displayed in the front lobby to show off the talent and creativity of students and the staff leading the classrooms.

"The mascots are incredible, and it really highlights the amazing talent that is here in this building on any given day," said Shreya Patel, on-site owner.

Shreya is a local science teacher and brainstormed the idea with Ankur, on-site owner and husband, to come up with a competitive, creative and fun challenge that was relevant.

"The goal of the project is to give the children something fun to do, which allows them to learn something important about our planet and recycling, while allowing the children to use their creativity," Shreya said.

Parents, families, and friends can vote in a Facebook tournament for their favorite mascot. The voting rounds will continue for three weeks when a winner will be crowned.

Each of the nine classrooms is also playing for a prize of up to $150 of equipment, books, toys, etc. of their choosing for their classroom. Additionally, each classroom is playing for a donation of $150 to be made on their behalf to a charity of their choosing.

For more information on The Goddard School, visit www.goddardschool.com/North-AuroraIL.