The school officially kicked off the drive with a pep rally this afternoon.
Harambee set out to collect 1,000 used sneakers by November, but the students collected an estimated 500 pairs just today.
Nike's "Reuse-A-Shoe" Program was founded in 1990.
It takes worn-out athletic shoes and recycles them into an innovative material known as Nike Grind, which is used to build recreational surfaces, like basketball courts and playgrounds across the country.
The program focuses on keeping used athletic shoes out of landfills and keeping the 4th through 8th graders environmentally conscious.
"In conjunction with the recycling program that we had last year where we took our children out to an actual recycling plant, we thought this year it would be a little bit better to actually take it a step further, to show the children other ways of going green besides recycling bottles and paper," Harambee Business Manger Jay Caldwell said.
"In order to shape our future, we have to teach the future, this is some of the ways, we can and they can be more proactive," project manager Kelli Caldwell said.
The school has found a fun way to deliver that message with this motto - "If you think you're cool and want to look slick, I suggest you recycle those worn out kicks."
LINK: Video of how the NIke Grind process works - http://youtu.be/DiRFVI0e_qw
