Dacula Teen on a Mission to Save the Earth

Mill Creek sophomore Charles Orgbon is the CEO of an organization dedicated to engaging and empowering youth in their efforts to protect the environment.

Three years ago -- while still in middle school -- Charles Orgbon III founded an environmental advocacy group called Greening Forward. “In 2008, I noticed my school’s littering problem and started the first Earth Savers Club to help address that issue,” said Charles, now 15 and a sophomore at Mill Creek High School. “Then I wanted to show other young people how they could create similar Earth Savers Clubs in their communities as well.” Now, Greening Forward sponsors a network of youth-led Earth Savers Clubs both nationally and internationally. “Greening Forward gives them the resources and tools they need to go out in their community and make a difference,” Charles said. Charles’ organization encourages civic engagement and environmental …

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Charles Orgbon

7:11 pm on Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Thanks so much Julie and Mabel. It is a pleasure working with you all!   more ›

Dacula Remembers 9/11

Honoring the tragic anniversary with words of remembrance, community service and a living tribute.

Area residents and servicemen gathered at Dacula City Hall on Sunday to honor the 10th anniversary of 9/11 through acts of service, words of remembrance and a living tribute. The Dacula 9/11 day of remembrance was lead by a dedicated local teen. Mill Creek student Charles Orgbon, founder of Greening Forward, chose to remember those who lost their lives on that tragic day 10 years ago through the power of service. “I choose to remember through service those who cannot serve anymore,” Orgbon said. The event began with a special service project led by Orgbon himself. Student volunteers gathered in the Dacula High School parking lot, and then picked up trash along Harbins Road from the school to Dacula City Hall. “We were honored as a school …

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Mill Creek Student Named to PARADE All-American Service Team

Charles OrgBon recognized for his efforts to change the world.

Mill Creek High School student and Dacula Patch blogger Charles OrgBon III has been named to the PARADE All-American Service Team in the environmental category. OrgBon, 15, is the CEO of a non-profit organization known as Greening Forward. This organization is an environmental advocacy-education group that recently led about 6,000 students in various recycling and litter cleanup projects. “As a fifth grader, I saw trash outside my school," OrgBon said in a released statement. "I’d stay late to clean up, and I wondered how to make other kids more aware.” The PARADE All-American Service Team was selected in association with the youth service division of the non-profit Points of Light Institute known as generationON. Fifteen students from …

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Local Teen Wins International Young Eco-Hero Award

Mill Creek student Charles OrgBon honored for his work with Greening Forward, a youth-driven environmental organization.

California based “Action for Nature” has selected Mill Creek student Charles OrgBon as the winner of the 2011 International Young Eco-Hero Award. In 2008, OrgBon founded Greening Forward, an environmental advocacy organization. With almost three dozen member organizations in seven states, Greening Forward works to promote the green movement in schools, workplaces and communities. According to Action for Nature, the Greening Forward Earth Savers Club network “has reached 6,000 young people working on transit, water quality, waste management, alternative energy, sustainable agriculture, and land conservation projects.” OrgBon works with Greening Forward's team of volunteers to provide training tools, educational resources, and financial aid …

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Outstanding Youth of Dacula

MCHS Student Keeping it Clean

Mill Creek sophomore leads rapidly growing youth-based environmental organization.

Charles OrgBon Sophomore, Mill Creek High School Accomplishment: Charles OrgBon is the founder and CEO of Greening Forward, an environmental organization which helps communities understand and implement sustainable practices. OrgBon, 15, founded the organization when he was 12 and in seventh grade. Key To Success: Mill Creek sophomore Charles OrgBon possesses an uncanny business sense, attention to detail, and understanding of strategic practices that has led him to creating an immensely successful youth-oriented environmental organization. But despite these traits, OrgBon says his passion and enthusiasm are what has helped him create Greening Forward. OrgBon started the group in 2008 as a website titled Recycling Education and has …

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Guest Column

Youth Involvement in Government

It is important to ensure that adults are engaging young people the right way into civic life.

Throughout society, persistent images exist displaying youth as clueless when it comes to government and politics. Consequently, older generations rally around the idea that youth do not participate in our most sacred of rights: voting. As follows human nature, adults assess blame. Many decide our schools are not adequately doing their jobs. Moreover, they believe our education system could be doing a better job at teaching civics. During a Senate hearing and acting as Chairman, Senator Rockefeller recently stated that “it’s my general feeling that people who are 20, 21, 22 years old really don’t have any social values.” Mr. Gingrich, speaking on the campaign trail suggested that young people should be required to take a test before they’…

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Making a Difference in Dacula

Volunteers Work to Beautify Little Mulberry Park

Efforts part of Global Youth Service Day.

Volunteers came out to Dacula's Little Mulberry Park for The Global Youth Service Day on Saturday to help the environment and support the efforts of Charles OrgBon, Mill Creek Key Club member and GYSD chairman. During the week of April 11 – 17, OrgBon and other Mill Creek Key Club members  participated in several events designed to make a difference in the Mill Creek community. The main volunteer event was the April 16 event at Little Mulberry Park. The event was  sponsored by Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful and OrgBon’s own Greening Forward, an environmental advocacy organization he started in 2008 as a web-based group.

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