Employees from Domtar’s Rothschild Mill spent two hours with first graders at Riverside Elementary School on Nov. 14, providing three classes of approximately 60 students with a hands-on papermaking lesson that complemented the students’ reading unit on the industry.
The mill, which employs 350 people, regularly takes its portable papermaking unit into the community, especially to schools, to teach the process. The demonstration breaks down how paper is made and the functions of the machinery, from the wet end to the vacuum section, press section, and finally the drying section. The Rothschild Mill has been working with Riverside Elementary for the past six years, reaching approximately 360 students to date.
Four Domtar employees — Becky Coushman, Matt Carow, Colby Winter and Alex Larson — led the class. The session began with a presentation on the company’s history, available jobs, employee education, products made from paper and how Domtar utilizes sustainable practices, including planting trees.
“Kids love it, and they learn better when they can do it,” said Becky Coushman, an executive assistant at the Rothschild Mill. “They get their hands in the pulp and learn so much more that way. The students are always excited to have visitors come in and learn from new people. We love paper, and it is nice to share our expertise with other community members.”
Each student participated in the demonstration and created their own 8-by-8-inch sheet of white paper, with an optional splash of color.
For the students, the hands-on activity was a hit.
“My favorite part of the process was learning the steps of making paper,” one student said. “I really like picking out my color for my paper.”
Another student noted, “I learned how much water is needed to make paper. It was really fun using the filter and watching the water fall from the screen.”
A third student highlighted the vacuum process, calling it “really cool to see the vacuum pull all of the water out of the paper.”
The team from the mill impressed a fourth student, who commented, “It was really fun having the helpers from Domtar make the paper with us and learning about each step of the process.”
Tara Lancelle, a first-grade teacher at Riverside, emphasized the value of the partnership.
“It is always such a great experience for our students,” Lancelle said. “It was a wonderful experience to bring our reading unit to life. The students were able to read about the steps of making paper and then create it in real life. It is such a wonderful partnership with Domtar each year to bring such engagement to the students. We are so thankful for the wonderful employees and Becky Coushman for their commitment to the surrounding community.”