23. Classroom Trash to Treasure: An interview with artist Amy Davis on sustainability, mindfulness, and tackling "throw away culture" in our classrooms

<p><strong>Summary: </strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">    Elementary classrooms are notorious for cute, colorful decor and fun little projects that supplement our content, but that often comes with a cost in terms of sustainability. Today I’m interviewing Amy Louise Davis, of Alou Artist, all about how we can reduce “throw away culture” in our classrooms while also supporting mindfulness and creativity in our students.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">    Amy is a textile artist and embroiderer who is fascinated by pattern and sculpture. Influenced by environmental and social issues, she created alou in 2013 to tackle throw away culture. With a particular interest in repurposing often overlooked, pre-loved materials, she uses her skills in sculpting and embroidery to conceptualize and design beautiful new artifacts. Amy has also found a strong connection in the relationship between sustainability and mindfulness, which she shares with us today along with project ideas we can easily incorporate into our classrooms,</span></p> <p><strong>Links and resources:</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Meet Amy on her</span> <strong>website</strong> <a href="https://alou.co.uk/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">alou.co.uk</span></a> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">or follow her on</span> <strong>Instagram</strong> <a href= "https://www.instagram.com/alouartist/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">@alouartist</span></a><span style= "font-weight: 400;">, where she shares plenty of Reels and IGTV episodes offering tutorials for creative repurposing.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Follow along with the ideas and tutorials in her campaign,</span> <a href= "https://www.mendnottrend.alou.co.uk/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">MendNotTrend.com</span></a><span style= "font-weight: 400;">, and share your own contributions using the hashtag</span> <strong>#MendNotTrend</strong> <span style