Each JAG affiliate and the students who participate choose service projects each academic year to contribute to their home communities and meet the program requirement for volunteer or community service hours. The JAG Tennessee Graduates Class of 2015 and Tennessee Career Association at Centennial High School researched a variety of different service projects and settled upon the Blue Jeans Go Green Service Project. The objective was a project benefitting individuals, local communities and even making an impact nationwide/globally. Individuals donated their denim products to Blue Jeans Go Green. This gave the old jeans new life, and provided insulation for communities in need across the U.S. The denim products were transformed into UltraTouch insulation which not only has 30% more efficient thermal performance, but also offers numerous health benefits. The insulation contains no carcinogenic warnings, formaldehyde or chemical irritants, in addition, it doesn’t contain any additive that would cause itching or lead to the buildup of mold or mildew.
JAG Tennessee supported Blue Jeans Go Green to shine a spotlight on the project and to garner support for the cause in their local area. The students advertised the denim donation drive in the community, with a goal of reducing textile waste and providing people across the nation with healthier, more efficient insulation. The program was created in 2006 by Cotton Inc. To date, Cotton Inc. has diverted 600 tons of blue jeans from landfills to be recycled and made into insulation.
The JAG Tennessee students had the opportunity to strengthen their communication skills, gain an understanding of how valuable community service is and learning organizational, team membership and leadership skills.
The Blue Jean Go Green project helped the environment by reducing the amount of waste put into landfills, and in tandem, provides safe insulation to individuals, families and communities.
Many local organizations supported the project, including, Publix, Plato’s Closet, AT&T Women in Technology, and Madewell Jeans. The JAG Tennessee students led the advertising, networking and word of mouth campaign which has opened up the potential for a statewide campaign with all eighteen high school sites of JAG Tennessee participating. In addition, Middle Tennessee State University and Columbia State Community College expressed interest in partnering with the Centennial High School service project.