Coraopolis, Pa. - Members and student-athletes of the Robert Morris University athletic department recently took part in the Doubletree Hotel Pittsburgh Airport's Teaching Kids to Care Campaign "Think Trees", an Environmental Education Initiative, at Forest Grove Elementary in Coraopolis, Pa., in the Montour School District.

Teaching Kids to Care is a nation wide initiative that spreads through 140 communities across the United States and Canada. The one-day campaign was created in association with the National Arbor Day Foundation to educate local elementary students on the importance of caring for planet earth's most precious resource - trees.

The campaign was held near the end of the recently completed school year with the help of several members from the Doubletree Hotel along with special help from head coach Katy Phillips of the Robert Morris University women's lacrosse team and RMU student-athletes Ali Harris (women's lacrosse), Angela Kost (women's ice hockey), Vanessa Zwegers (women's ice hockey), Brenna Reed (softball), Mike Niklos (football) and Jesse Kastelic (football).

The group taught local third graders at Forest Grove Elementary, through an educator approved lesson plan, the importance of trees and how they impact the environment through several hands-on activities for the Think Trees event.

"Our environment is very precious to us as a whole," said Coach Phillips. "It is very important to us as leaders in the community that we help teach kids on how to care for it so that it is around for their kids and so on."

Many of the student-athletes assisted the children of Forest Grove in question and answer sessions about trees along with finger-painting activities and individualized drawings on what trees meant to them. The day-long campaign concluded when the students got to give back to environment by planting a seedling of their own at the school.

"It was great to have the student-athletes from Robert Morris help out with the project," said Darlene Jones, Care Manager of the Double Tree Hotel - Pittsburgh Airport. "Katy and all the student-athletes seemed very excited and jumped right in with helping the kids."