Myrah Taylor, a senior at Oak Mountain High School recently wrote a grant for $2,500 to expand a recycling project that she started at the school for her Girl Scout project.  The grant from the St. Vincent’s Foundation will enable Taylor to expand the program from just recycling paper to also include plastic and aluminum.  

Taylor who has been a Girl Scout for 12 years, first began her recycling project as a Brownie –  starting with phone books. She has been a very active Girl Scout, having earned program aid, leadership, bronze and silver awards. She  is working currently working toward her goal of earning the Gold Award, the highest service award given through the organization.  That honor is only achieved by ten percent of Girl Scouts.

“When it was to time to select a service project to submit to the council, it did not surprise me that she chose a recycling project,” said her mother, Dr. Brenda Taylor. 

After learning that her high school did not have a recycling program in place, Taylor set a goal, formed a team, developed a marketing plan, and submitted it to her principal, Joan Doyle, for approval. But, first she needed to fund the program.

“We discussed grant writing,” said Dr. Taylor. “She wrote the grant and received $500 to place a bin for recycling paper in every classroom and office two years ago under the direction of Mr. Evans the Environmental Science teacher as her sponsor.”

Once Taylor had the paper recycling project established, she decided to expand it to include plastic and aluminum. Using some of the same skills used for the previous grant, she researched and gathered statistical data on how the paper-recycling program had saved disposal cost at her school, freeing up funds to be used for other student programs. 

Taylor not only learned the skill of grant writing but also became aware of how marketing can impact donations from larger foundations.  Approached by the student body president, she was asked about expanding the program to Heardmont Field, where football and track meets are held. She teamed up with the SGA and submitted another grant proposal for a $1,000 Wal-Mart Community Foundation grant, this time incorporating the logo of the donor on the larger bins as a marketing tool.  

She submitted and received the Wal-Mart grant in time for Earth Day on April 22.  It will be used to put additional recycling bins for plastic and aluminum at the stadium at Heardmont Park.  The most recent $2,500 grant will be used to put bins in the school cafeteria, gym, teacher workroom, and football practice field.

Myrah is a senior at Oak Mountain High School where she serves as an Oak Mountain Ambassador, Peer Assistant and former member of the Starlette Dance team. She wrote a brochure entitled “ Neglected and Abused Children” that is used by the peer assistant as a teaching tool.  This year she organized a Blue Ribbon Fundraiser in support of Owen House, Shelby County’s Child Advocacy Center and will present a check for $1,507.12 to that organization. 

She is a member of the 2014 class of Shelby County Distinguished Young Women where she was a finalist and 2^nd alternate. She was also a top ten finalist in the Miss Alabama Outstanding Teen scholarship program.