Let me start off by agreeing with Desiree's post. Time and communication were not our friends this semester. That being said, let me explain why this is true in my case.
Intentions: Last semester I joined this group under the premise that I would be coordinating with an after school group at Boyd Elementary school. Accordingly, I planned my schedule to accommodate the extra curricular Think Green meetings. I left a large gap in my schedule after 3 pm and before 10 am.
Contentions: Instead, our interaction with Boyd elementary began in late October with our garden clean up project. Although I was able to attend this project as well as the 2, yes only 2, meetings of the Think Green club, I was able to attend only 1 of the class-room presentations at Boyd which were the primary contributor to the group hours because these presentations occurred during my college class time. Furthermore our group communication was poor (if anyone wants to accuse me of throwing Amy or anyone else under the bus on this sentence, trust me, the accusation is not singular) enough that information about what time we would go to Boyd was given too close to change class plans.
I have made the choice this month to skip one of my classes at Drury to participate in our 1st grade class presentation about wind energy and sustainability. It went well, and the kids enjoyed their organic snack afterward, just as our Think Green group enjoyed our second meeting creating more crafts and discussing ideas for environmentally sustainable projects next semester.
Redemption: I understand how things will be now for this group to achieve 15 hours. Instead of a primarily after-school partnership, I need to devote my time to primarily in-school activities. I have made my schedule accordingly for college classes. I hope to make up the hours I have missed this semester by attending all of our classroom events next semester and organizing some events.
Summit so far, is much different than I first pictured. It is time, as we look to next semester, to adapt to the changes we have seen before eyes.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
the Finale
School has been really busy. And the Boyd group can only meet at certain times. Therefore, I haven't gotten to meet when they met this month. But I hear they did cool things. Like the did in-class presentations on weather. Which I would have loved to go to, but I couldn't. I think they did end up making pinwheels and talking about windpower. I haven't read their blogs yet, so I don't know.
Which brings me to the problem of communication.
It's a problem.
Sometimes it's difficult to communicate with Boyd. Sometimes it's difficult for everyone in the house to communicate. Because everyone's really busy.
They also helped with the Green Team after school thing. But I had school stuff, again.
BUT
but but but.
I have been able to make notebooks out of recycled goods. So that's good. That's a task that has very flexible hours. The neat thing about that is that I can make these notepads and then then Think Green can sell them and raise money for the cause.
I think in the semester we'll be able to get started earlier in the semester than we did last semester because we have a handle on it now. Hopefully over winter break I'll be able to research more environmental issues and activities and ways of recycling so that we'll have some fresh ideas for the next semester.
Because of this past semester of working with Boyd, I've learned more about the issues because having this product has encouraged me to research more. I was relatively well-informed before, but now I feel like I'm always learning more and more (and there will always be more and more to learn).
As far as the Wellness Program and Stress Free Now go, there were good parts and bad parts. I liked the yoga class. I'd taken yoga before, but never with this teacher, so I learned some poses that I'd never tried before. I didn't get into Tai Chi. As the lady said, Tai Chi requires a really slow learning process, and she had to cram in a lot (even though it didn't seem like a lot) into a short session, so I probably didn't learn as much or learn it in quite the right way. I was interested because Tai Chi seems like a neat thing to do, but for the limitations of this class, time and otherwise, it didn't do much for me.
I was confused by the acupuncture because there were implications that we would all be getting acupuncture. But we didn't get acupuncture. I was interested in the subject matter the acupuncture man talked about, but because he had offbeat ideas and was aware that he was talking to a group of people who may or may not want to be there or may or may not think that he's crazy, he didn't really seem that relatable. It sort of felt like he was trying to sell it to us, giving us more the good parts than a realistic view of what acupuncture could do. The situation may have put him on the defense. I'm still interested in acupuncture, even though it's probably not something I can afford at this point in my life.
Before we started this program, I'd actually been pretty interested in meditation, and some of the types of meditation we had to do I liked, but some of them I didn't like as much. There are some podcast episodes that did more for me.
On one hand, I think it's a good idea to introduce these new ideas to people who may have ignored or rejected them before. I think this could really help some people, but there are also plenty of people who aren't interested in meditation or yoga or eastern medicine, and just aren't going to be.
This winter break I'm looking forward to reading and maybe starting some new projects and renewing my Netflix account.
-Desirée
Which brings me to the problem of communication.
It's a problem.
Sometimes it's difficult to communicate with Boyd. Sometimes it's difficult for everyone in the house to communicate. Because everyone's really busy.
They also helped with the Green Team after school thing. But I had school stuff, again.
BUT
but but but.
I have been able to make notebooks out of recycled goods. So that's good. That's a task that has very flexible hours. The neat thing about that is that I can make these notepads and then then Think Green can sell them and raise money for the cause.
I think in the semester we'll be able to get started earlier in the semester than we did last semester because we have a handle on it now. Hopefully over winter break I'll be able to research more environmental issues and activities and ways of recycling so that we'll have some fresh ideas for the next semester.
Because of this past semester of working with Boyd, I've learned more about the issues because having this product has encouraged me to research more. I was relatively well-informed before, but now I feel like I'm always learning more and more (and there will always be more and more to learn).
As far as the Wellness Program and Stress Free Now go, there were good parts and bad parts. I liked the yoga class. I'd taken yoga before, but never with this teacher, so I learned some poses that I'd never tried before. I didn't get into Tai Chi. As the lady said, Tai Chi requires a really slow learning process, and she had to cram in a lot (even though it didn't seem like a lot) into a short session, so I probably didn't learn as much or learn it in quite the right way. I was interested because Tai Chi seems like a neat thing to do, but for the limitations of this class, time and otherwise, it didn't do much for me.
I was confused by the acupuncture because there were implications that we would all be getting acupuncture. But we didn't get acupuncture. I was interested in the subject matter the acupuncture man talked about, but because he had offbeat ideas and was aware that he was talking to a group of people who may or may not want to be there or may or may not think that he's crazy, he didn't really seem that relatable. It sort of felt like he was trying to sell it to us, giving us more the good parts than a realistic view of what acupuncture could do. The situation may have put him on the defense. I'm still interested in acupuncture, even though it's probably not something I can afford at this point in my life.
Before we started this program, I'd actually been pretty interested in meditation, and some of the types of meditation we had to do I liked, but some of them I didn't like as much. There are some podcast episodes that did more for me.
On one hand, I think it's a good idea to introduce these new ideas to people who may have ignored or rejected them before. I think this could really help some people, but there are also plenty of people who aren't interested in meditation or yoga or eastern medicine, and just aren't going to be.
This winter break I'm looking forward to reading and maybe starting some new projects and renewing my Netflix account.
-Desirée
Friday, December 10, 2010
December - Smith
This month has been full of activity. Not only have we done a lot with our project at Boyd, but we also are wrapping up our first semester in the Summit house. Papers and projects are all due, meetings are taking place and finals are next week. Then we get a nice break and Christmas!
This month we have already had three events at Boyd. Two were in class presentations, and one was a Green Team meeting. Next week we are also planning on helping out at another Green Team meeting. Our presentations were about wind, and wind power. We visited two first grade classrooms and told them all about how the sun heats the air and makes wind cells. After that we explained wind turbines, and how they are used to harness energy from the wind. We then explained why this was so much better than burning fossil fuels. We brought pencils and paper and helped the kids make their own mini turbines with them. Then they could watch the pinwheel spin and see wind power in motion. They all thought this project was really cool. Both classes had at least one kid wondering if I was a boy or a girl, it was pretty funny. I explained that I was a boy, but I had long hair. Everyone in the house makes jokes about that now. We also brought organic snacks and juice to the classes, and explained that eating organic foods was not only healthy, but good for the environment.
At the Green Team meeting we made Christmas ornaments out of old magazines and paper. First you cut a square out of the material you were using, and folded it in half. Then you make a couple of cuts and unfold it. You will then have a paper with slits in it that can be folded back on each other and make a really cool looking ornament or even just a decoration to hang around the house. We put a few of them together and made a star decoration. Boyd had a Christmas tree on their third floor, and we put a couple of the ornaments on it. Next week we will help the kids make notebooks out of cardboard boxes we have been collecting from cereal and other foods.
I have loved my first semester in Summit and look forward to next semester. I think next semester our project will be better organized and more awesome!
This month we have already had three events at Boyd. Two were in class presentations, and one was a Green Team meeting. Next week we are also planning on helping out at another Green Team meeting. Our presentations were about wind, and wind power. We visited two first grade classrooms and told them all about how the sun heats the air and makes wind cells. After that we explained wind turbines, and how they are used to harness energy from the wind. We then explained why this was so much better than burning fossil fuels. We brought pencils and paper and helped the kids make their own mini turbines with them. Then they could watch the pinwheel spin and see wind power in motion. They all thought this project was really cool. Both classes had at least one kid wondering if I was a boy or a girl, it was pretty funny. I explained that I was a boy, but I had long hair. Everyone in the house makes jokes about that now. We also brought organic snacks and juice to the classes, and explained that eating organic foods was not only healthy, but good for the environment.
At the Green Team meeting we made Christmas ornaments out of old magazines and paper. First you cut a square out of the material you were using, and folded it in half. Then you make a couple of cuts and unfold it. You will then have a paper with slits in it that can be folded back on each other and make a really cool looking ornament or even just a decoration to hang around the house. We put a few of them together and made a star decoration. Boyd had a Christmas tree on their third floor, and we put a couple of the ornaments on it. Next week we will help the kids make notebooks out of cardboard boxes we have been collecting from cereal and other foods.
I have loved my first semester in Summit and look forward to next semester. I think next semester our project will be better organized and more awesome!
Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time!
Wow! Today is the last day of classes... the last official day of the semester. I can't believe that our Summit project is almost half over already. This is a short month school-wise, but we've still managed to log some hours over at Boyd. To start off the month, we lead another Think Green meeting at Boyd. We made really cool recycled paper Christmas ornaments and helped the students complete some of their recycled notebooks. We ended up volunteering to take the notebooks home so that we can help them get a jump start on this project.
The next day we went back to Boyd to complete our second in-class presentation on the wind and wind power. The 1st grade students that we presented to on December 2nd were SO rowdy! They had a substitute teacher, so it was quite a challenge keeping them under control and focused. But, we eventually got them calmed down and we were able to tell them all about the importance of renewable energy and how wind power works.
I'm incredibly excited for the evolution of our project into next semester. We've already tackled all of the frustrating aspects of the project (communication issues), which means that next semester should be a breeze. We'll be able to plan many more events and follow through with everything. Hopefully the carnival that we're trying to plan will come to fruition as well!
The Wellness Program has been helpful, this week especially with the wonderful free massages. Though, in all honesty, I find it a bit stressful to remember to log on to the web site and do the meditation each day.
I'm excited to tell the rest of the Summit community all about our project in class tonight! :) And, I can't wait for Christmas!
Happy Holidays!
Amy
The next day we went back to Boyd to complete our second in-class presentation on the wind and wind power. The 1st grade students that we presented to on December 2nd were SO rowdy! They had a substitute teacher, so it was quite a challenge keeping them under control and focused. But, we eventually got them calmed down and we were able to tell them all about the importance of renewable energy and how wind power works.
I'm incredibly excited for the evolution of our project into next semester. We've already tackled all of the frustrating aspects of the project (communication issues), which means that next semester should be a breeze. We'll be able to plan many more events and follow through with everything. Hopefully the carnival that we're trying to plan will come to fruition as well!
The Wellness Program has been helpful, this week especially with the wonderful free massages. Though, in all honesty, I find it a bit stressful to remember to log on to the web site and do the meditation each day.
I'm excited to tell the rest of the Summit community all about our project in class tonight! :) And, I can't wait for Christmas!
Happy Holidays!
Amy
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Deck the Halls-Ethan Graham
As the year come to an end, I am getting ready to move out of the house and move back home. I have been helping out as much as I can with Boyd, but due to some events that took place last week, I have been cut short of my time. We went to Boyd and talked about wind power a couple weeks back. We also made paper windmills with the kids. They really injoyed them. I am going to miss helping out Boyd next year and will miss living with everyone at the house.
Thanks for everything guys!
P.S. I would like to share a video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYFozG5HsVo
Thanks for everything guys!
P.S. I would like to share a video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYFozG5HsVo
It's the most wonderful timeeeeee of the year!
Though Christmas is just around the corner, it is hard to get too excited with finals being as crazy hectic as they are. In consideration of our crazy schedules, though, our Summit wellness program has proved to be extremely helpful in these last couple weeks in helping me stay focused and as a great excuse to take a break every day and relax a bit. Along with this, the massages this week were definitely a great way to relax in the midst of our busy lives.
With how crazy sophomore year has been so far, it is really strange to think that this semester is almost over, and that, along with this, our Summit experience is ALSO nearly half way over! It seems like just the other day we were all sitting down to make our calendar for the fall semester, and now we are putting the final touches on our mid year report and looking to next semester's plans. Although the mid year report has been a bit frustrating to put together in the midst of finals, I just finished editing our group's presentation and am now realizing how helpful our report is to remind us of all the hard work that our group has done this semester.
Through the frustrations of communicating with the whole group and our organization and working around everyone's busy schedules, a lot of our successes get lost in shuffle as we move with tunnel vision from one project to the next. The mid year report, however provided a great way for our group to see everything we have done so far and as a motivator looking to next semester to continue our momentum and work towards getting even more involved with our project next semester. Overall this semester- though it went by SUPER fast- has been a great start to our Summit Experience and has made me look forward to doing even more to make the most of our project next semester.
Good luck with finals and I will see you all on Friday!
Anna Regan
With how crazy sophomore year has been so far, it is really strange to think that this semester is almost over, and that, along with this, our Summit experience is ALSO nearly half way over! It seems like just the other day we were all sitting down to make our calendar for the fall semester, and now we are putting the final touches on our mid year report and looking to next semester's plans. Although the mid year report has been a bit frustrating to put together in the midst of finals, I just finished editing our group's presentation and am now realizing how helpful our report is to remind us of all the hard work that our group has done this semester.
Through the frustrations of communicating with the whole group and our organization and working around everyone's busy schedules, a lot of our successes get lost in shuffle as we move with tunnel vision from one project to the next. The mid year report, however provided a great way for our group to see everything we have done so far and as a motivator looking to next semester to continue our momentum and work towards getting even more involved with our project next semester. Overall this semester- though it went by SUPER fast- has been a great start to our Summit Experience and has made me look forward to doing even more to make the most of our project next semester.
Good luck with finals and I will see you all on Friday!
Anna Regan
Sunday, December 5, 2010
November at Summit
I am sorry this is so late! But I want to share my experience at Summit this November. I went to Boyd several times and met a really cute kindergardener called Amelia, and did crafts with her with recycled materials. She loved it. We also met some third-graders to teach them about the nitrogen cycle, and they seemed very confused about the gender of some of my house mates. It was very funny, this type of confusion never happens in my country.
By doing this project I'm learning lots of cool recycling ideas, like the jewelry we made out of newspapers and string, and the snowflakes made out of magazines. We're making progress with the kids, and learning their names and their learning style. They're really smart and curious, which is great and makes our job easier. We also got them some organic treats which they did not seem to enjoy that much, so that's something to make a note of for next time. Next up is making lots of recycled notepads, Boyd wants as many as we can make.
By doing this project I'm learning lots of cool recycling ideas, like the jewelry we made out of newspapers and string, and the snowflakes made out of magazines. We're making progress with the kids, and learning their names and their learning style. They're really smart and curious, which is great and makes our job easier. We also got them some organic treats which they did not seem to enjoy that much, so that's something to make a note of for next time. Next up is making lots of recycled notepads, Boyd wants as many as we can make.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Green Machines
The pace is picking up with the Think Green Summit group. This past month we've had more chances to work with the kids at Boyd, and I couldn't be more excited.
A few weeks ago, several of us went over to Boyd Elementary to help lead the after school meeting of the Green Team. The main theme of our visit was recycling. We led two different recyclable crafts for the kids to do. They were semi-gender-specific, but of course we weren't going to tell them which one to do or not do.
The boys helped make paper monsters out of recycled newspaper, but ended up getting frustrated by the project and making paper airplanes instead. Another mighty fine way of reusing paper.
And the girls helped make jewelry using plastic shopping bags.
After all, thinking green isn't just about being sustainable, it's about looking good, too. ;-)
Some girls got extra creative and used the crafting techniques to make other accessories...
I think they were fun activities for everyone. By showing them the material opportunities of different things, we reinforce resourcefulness. Sure, a newspaper can be a newspaper. But when the news is old, what do you do? Make it into something new! A monster chain or an airplane. Oh, the things you can do.
And shopping bags? You can use them to line your trash can, or you can take them back to the supermarket to be recycled. But when you have a fancy dinner party to go to and no jewelry to go with your taffeta ball gown, you cut those babies up and turn it into fashion! Are they pearls or plastic? No one will ever know.*
Then, last week Monica, Anna, Amy, Taylor, Ethan, and I did in-class presentations for a couple third grade classes. Although I love working with the Green Team, it was neat to work with a bigger group of kids. We told them about the nitrogen cycle, and they all seemed to enjoy it. They were fun and lively, and eager to learn and answer questions. After we presented the nitrogen cycle, we had an activity for the group. The kids were nitrogen particles. I represented plants; Anna represented animals; Amy represented soil; and Taylor represented the sky. The four groups of kids each started at one of the stations and went through the cycle. Each student had a nitrogen passport and had to tell us how they got to this station and where they were going next.
Next week the group is going to do in-class presentations again. This time for first graders. Their teachers said they're learning about weather right now. I thought it would be a good chance to talk about how the wind effects the weather, and maybe we could also tie in a little information about wind-power or solar power. Right now we're still in the brainstorming process, but I'm sure that whatever we decide on will be great.
Happy Thanksgiving!
-Desirée
*Not actually true.
Friday, November 19, 2010
November - Smith
This month has gone pretty well for the Think Green house. We have been to the Green Team meeting at Boyd and even had in class presentations. We have had a couple snags here and there but everything ended up working out in the end.
At our first meeting with Boyd's Green Team we made recycled crafts with the students. We had two separate crafts, newspaper monsters and plastic bag bracelets. For the monsters, we folded up a strip of newspaper and then the kids drew half of a monster on it. After that the monster is cut out and when unfolded should make a string of identical monsters. Jared was the only one who got it on the first try, for some reason it was difficult for the rest of us to figure out. The bracelets were made by twisting plastic bags around little pieces of newspaper, making the bracelet look similar to pearls. Towards the end we made a couple of paper planes out of the leftover newspaper and had fun throwing them around with the kids.
Last week we also did two in class presentations about the nitrogen cycle. First we talked about each step in the cycle, drawing what occurs so that the class could better visualize the cycle. We also had a toy cow head that we used to represent animals eating plants that contain nitrogen, and the kids got a kick out of it. They all laughed when a plastic cow head was taped to the board, and then in each class someone asked why we were using a cow head. After explaining the cycle we split the kids into four groups; clouds, soil, plants, and animals. Each group told us about what happens in the step of the nitrogen cycle they were in and we answered any questions they had. Then we checked off their "nitrogen passport" and they would go to the next station. At the end we passed out organic snacks and told them what happens when pollution gets into the cycle.
When it comes to interacting with the Summit community, I have been unable to attend any of the events. Unfortunately most of them have been on Thursday nights, and on Thursdays I have class from 5:20-9:00pm. I was hoping to make it to the November social that happened on Wednesday night, but I was studying for a test. I have mixed feelings about the wellness program. I really enjoy Yoga and Tai Chi, and am looking forward to acupuncture (though I don't know if I feel like getting poked with needles yet). The rest of the wellness program doesn't really make sense to me. I feel like a wellness program shouldn't be something taught online, but something that should be experienced. I thought the speakers we had in September were interesting, and hope the rest of the speakers are equally so.
At our first meeting with Boyd's Green Team we made recycled crafts with the students. We had two separate crafts, newspaper monsters and plastic bag bracelets. For the monsters, we folded up a strip of newspaper and then the kids drew half of a monster on it. After that the monster is cut out and when unfolded should make a string of identical monsters. Jared was the only one who got it on the first try, for some reason it was difficult for the rest of us to figure out. The bracelets were made by twisting plastic bags around little pieces of newspaper, making the bracelet look similar to pearls. Towards the end we made a couple of paper planes out of the leftover newspaper and had fun throwing them around with the kids.
Last week we also did two in class presentations about the nitrogen cycle. First we talked about each step in the cycle, drawing what occurs so that the class could better visualize the cycle. We also had a toy cow head that we used to represent animals eating plants that contain nitrogen, and the kids got a kick out of it. They all laughed when a plastic cow head was taped to the board, and then in each class someone asked why we were using a cow head. After explaining the cycle we split the kids into four groups; clouds, soil, plants, and animals. Each group told us about what happens in the step of the nitrogen cycle they were in and we answered any questions they had. Then we checked off their "nitrogen passport" and they would go to the next station. At the end we passed out organic snacks and told them what happens when pollution gets into the cycle.
When it comes to interacting with the Summit community, I have been unable to attend any of the events. Unfortunately most of them have been on Thursday nights, and on Thursdays I have class from 5:20-9:00pm. I was hoping to make it to the November social that happened on Wednesday night, but I was studying for a test. I have mixed feelings about the wellness program. I really enjoy Yoga and Tai Chi, and am looking forward to acupuncture (though I don't know if I feel like getting poked with needles yet). The rest of the wellness program doesn't really make sense to me. I feel like a wellness program shouldn't be something taught online, but something that should be experienced. I thought the speakers we had in September were interesting, and hope the rest of the speakers are equally so.
Ethan Graham - NOV!
We have been busy with Boyd this month. Everyone in the house has been going over to play with the kids at Boyd during recess. I have not been able to go over and play with the kids because of class, but everyone says that it has been really fun hanging out with them and just spending time with them. We have also been going over after school and showing the kids different ways to use old news paper. We showed them how to cut up the paper and make different shapes just like you make snow flakes when you was a kid. It was fun to show them how to do that. I like to never figured out how cut the paper the right way to make it work.
We also went over and did a presentation over the nitrogen cycle. The kids really like us being over there and showing them how it works. We took food and drinks with us to show them its important to eat organic foods. Its been a really good month for us in the green house working with Boyd. We are looking foward to working with them more next month and to spend more time with the kids.
We also went over and did a presentation over the nitrogen cycle. The kids really like us being over there and showing them how it works. We took food and drinks with us to show them its important to eat organic foods. Its been a really good month for us in the green house working with Boyd. We are looking foward to working with them more next month and to spend more time with the kids.
Thinking Green in November!
November has been a busy, busy month for Think Green at Boyd! It seems as if these past four weeks have really gotten our project off the ground and into a good groove with the Green Activities at Boyd. During the last week of October, we headed over to Boyd for our first "Green Recess" where we made Pine Cone birdseed feeders and Mini-Frankenstines out of recyclable materials. After that we have had one activity after another over there and are really starting to connect with some of the kids and faculty. After our green recess, we were able to go over a couple days later for our first meeting with the Green Team- a preexisting student group that we are hoping to help out with and eventually expand. At the meeting we split up the boys and girls and had the girls make necklaces out of recycled plastic bags and newspaper while the boys cut up old newspapers to make "monster chains" or cutouts of other creatures that they decorated with markers. After the meeting some of the group emptied all of the recycling bins in the school.
Finally, the most exciting recent activity from our group was a series of two in-class presentations we made to two third grade classes. Using an interactive lesson plan, we worked to explain the Nitrogen Cycle to an eager group of kids who, we were pleasantly surprised to find, were extremely receptive to learn about. After explaining the Nitrogen Cycle we got down to the fun stuff and played a "nitrogen cycle themed" game with the kids and munched on organic snacks which we explained to the kids would help promote green agriculture and help combat one of the detriments of the Nitrogen Cycle as it is altered by pollution.
Overall, I think this month was extremely successful for our group and I am now looking forward to the future of working with the kids now that we have a better idea of what sort of activities can be effective and how we can most efficiently prepare for them. To date, the most encouraging part of our project has been the enthusiastic feedback that we have received from teachers, administrators, and (most importantly) the kids at Boyd. Everyone has been extremely encouraging and accommodating to help us make our project a success and it is so fantastic to start getting feedback and excitement from the kids as they are more exposed to "green thinking" and how they can help out in their community.
Anna Regan
Finally, the most exciting recent activity from our group was a series of two in-class presentations we made to two third grade classes. Using an interactive lesson plan, we worked to explain the Nitrogen Cycle to an eager group of kids who, we were pleasantly surprised to find, were extremely receptive to learn about. After explaining the Nitrogen Cycle we got down to the fun stuff and played a "nitrogen cycle themed" game with the kids and munched on organic snacks which we explained to the kids would help promote green agriculture and help combat one of the detriments of the Nitrogen Cycle as it is altered by pollution.
Overall, I think this month was extremely successful for our group and I am now looking forward to the future of working with the kids now that we have a better idea of what sort of activities can be effective and how we can most efficiently prepare for them. To date, the most encouraging part of our project has been the enthusiastic feedback that we have received from teachers, administrators, and (most importantly) the kids at Boyd. Everyone has been extremely encouraging and accommodating to help us make our project a success and it is so fantastic to start getting feedback and excitement from the kids as they are more exposed to "green thinking" and how they can help out in their community.
Anna Regan
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
It's not that easy being "Think Green"- Scherrer
Kermit definitely said it best: "it's not that easy bein' green, but I think it's what I want to be." And, although this Summit project hasn't been easy, it's definitely what I want to be doing. November was a spectacular month for our group and we've been logging a lot of hours. We had our first "green" recess at the end of October and we are planning to have another one tomorrow! We also had our first Think Green meeting at Boyd last week and our first in-class presentations yesterday! We're really working hard to get things done and be green.
The Think Green meeting at Boyd went very well. We made recyclable crafts with the students and emptied the recycle bins and we scheduled another meeting for December (something to look forward to!). And, in my opinion, our in-class presentations went even better. We presented to both of the 3rd grade classes and taught them all about the nitrogen cycle. We had a fun game for them to play that dealt with the cycle and we made sure to include information about how pollution affects the levels of nitrogen in the cycle. The students were very receptive and caught on quickly; but they were especially happy when we passed out the organic snacks for them and explained to them that everytime they eat organically, they're making a healthy choice for themselves and the nitrogen cycle. These presentations really made me feel like we're doing something important for the school and contributing to the overall "green" health of the surrounding community.
Life has been great living in Summit with my 7 other roommates. We all get along well and try to attend the Summit socials together too. The wellness program has helped our group get even closer. We go to the yoga/tai chi classes together and discuss what we're learning from them. For that reason, I'm enjoying the wellness program. Although it's difficult to remember to listen to the meditation everyday, I'm working at making it a regular part of my routine.
Until next month--
Amy
The Think Green meeting at Boyd went very well. We made recyclable crafts with the students and emptied the recycle bins and we scheduled another meeting for December (something to look forward to!). And, in my opinion, our in-class presentations went even better. We presented to both of the 3rd grade classes and taught them all about the nitrogen cycle. We had a fun game for them to play that dealt with the cycle and we made sure to include information about how pollution affects the levels of nitrogen in the cycle. The students were very receptive and caught on quickly; but they were especially happy when we passed out the organic snacks for them and explained to them that everytime they eat organically, they're making a healthy choice for themselves and the nitrogen cycle. These presentations really made me feel like we're doing something important for the school and contributing to the overall "green" health of the surrounding community.
Life has been great living in Summit with my 7 other roommates. We all get along well and try to attend the Summit socials together too. The wellness program has helped our group get even closer. We go to the yoga/tai chi classes together and discuss what we're learning from them. For that reason, I'm enjoying the wellness program. Although it's difficult to remember to listen to the meditation everyday, I'm working at making it a regular part of my routine.
Until next month--
Amy
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Green October
The effectiveness of how much we've recycled in our Summit house this month has been the best so far. We have some new wonderful additions to our house -- recycling bins that stay below our staircase where we can store all our recycled trash without it overcrowding our entrance. We also started getting organized as roommates to have a schedule of when everyone will take the recycling out, and when. For those of us without cars (Jared and me), it works out to be paired up with the ones that do (everyone else).
As for Boyd Elementary, unfortunately my school schedule didn't let me go last Friday to make Halloween crafts out of recycled goods, and I regret this a lot. Specially when I heard about how much fun it was, and how sassy the kids were being (apparently, they're really good at speaking Spanish, so I'm looking forward to teach them about recycling, bilingual style). Definitely, lots to look forward to this November!
As for Boyd Elementary, unfortunately my school schedule didn't let me go last Friday to make Halloween crafts out of recycled goods, and I regret this a lot. Specially when I heard about how much fun it was, and how sassy the kids were being (apparently, they're really good at speaking Spanish, so I'm looking forward to teach them about recycling, bilingual style). Definitely, lots to look forward to this November!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Frankenstein, Pine Cones, and Recycling Bins - Smith
Finally. That's the best word to describe my feelings towards this month's progress with our Summit project. Things are finally beginning to work. We finally got to do some volunteer work, and even got some sweet recycling bins for our house. Our help with Boyd has expanded to more than just the Think Green group, and now includes the entire school.
Today I got to volunteer at Boyd for an hour in between my classes, which marks my first volunteer hour for the Summit project. A bit of a late start, but now that things are rolling the rest of the hours should follow quickly. We set up some craft tables during Boyd's recess time, and the kids had a blast. At one table they made Frankenstein monsters out of cardboard rolls from toilet paper and paper towels, and at the other they made bird feeders out of pine cones, peanut butter, and bird seed. The kids all got along nicely, and waited patiently when we were helping another student out. We attracted a good amount of the kids, as the rest of the playground seemed almost deserted. I look forward to our next project with them.
We ended up running out of cardboard for the Frankensteins, and almost ran out of pine cones. I had to return to the house to get more bird seed, and picked up a bag full of pine cones while I was at it. I even found a paper towel roll's cardboard roll lying on the ground while I was out, and it was nice to know that the litter was serving another purpose minutes after it was found. Next time we plan on doing an event at recess we will need to bring more things so we don't run out of supplies. Some of the kids made Frankensteins on pieces of paper, but I didn't hear any of them complaining, I was really surprised to see such well behaved kids.
We now have four big blue recycling bins for our house, which will come in very handy. Between the eight of us we can rack up a lot of recycling pretty fast, and these containers are a lot bigger than the cardboard boxes we have been using. We are planning on teaching some classes at Boyd about the nitrogen cycle in the coming weeks, and will be going into different classrooms to do this.
Today I got to volunteer at Boyd for an hour in between my classes, which marks my first volunteer hour for the Summit project. A bit of a late start, but now that things are rolling the rest of the hours should follow quickly. We set up some craft tables during Boyd's recess time, and the kids had a blast. At one table they made Frankenstein monsters out of cardboard rolls from toilet paper and paper towels, and at the other they made bird feeders out of pine cones, peanut butter, and bird seed. The kids all got along nicely, and waited patiently when we were helping another student out. We attracted a good amount of the kids, as the rest of the playground seemed almost deserted. I look forward to our next project with them.
We ended up running out of cardboard for the Frankensteins, and almost ran out of pine cones. I had to return to the house to get more bird seed, and picked up a bag full of pine cones while I was at it. I even found a paper towel roll's cardboard roll lying on the ground while I was out, and it was nice to know that the litter was serving another purpose minutes after it was found. Next time we plan on doing an event at recess we will need to bring more things so we don't run out of supplies. Some of the kids made Frankensteins on pieces of paper, but I didn't hear any of them complaining, I was really surprised to see such well behaved kids.
We now have four big blue recycling bins for our house, which will come in very handy. Between the eight of us we can rack up a lot of recycling pretty fast, and these containers are a lot bigger than the cardboard boxes we have been using. We are planning on teaching some classes at Boyd about the nitrogen cycle in the coming weeks, and will be going into different classrooms to do this.
Recycling in the Summit Home -Proszek
After discussing the lack of recycling options in our Summit home, our group felt it was critical to look into recycling options. Call this Phase I of our progress:
Four large recycling bins (2 for each floor) allow us to recycle glass, paper, cardboard, and aluminum effectively. Although we still need to take our recycled materials across the street, these bins are a big help. And honestly, they are not that special. Every house in the Summit block could be equipped with these bins for a very small cost. Our next goal, I believe, will be to equip Summit with better recycling bins.
So for now, here's a little sustainable thinking on the home-front, with more to come in the future.
Go'en Green! - E
Earlier this month, we went to the garden next to Cox North and help the kids pull weeds and cut down old plants. We cleaned up the garden beds for next year and put down cardboard for a new bed. Teaching these kids to garden now will help them save money later on in life by growing their own food. Not only will it help save money but it will also cut down mass produce. It was fun to be working along side the kids cleaning up their garden. I cant wait for spring when we can plant. I think that the kids learn a lot by watching the plants grow and the feeling that they get when they see their hard work paying off.
Also, we have been working with Boyd with their think green program. We are going to be eating lunch with the kids and teaching them how to think green. We are going to be teaching the kids ways to make the world more green along side what the teacher is covering. While the teacher is covering the subject like rain cycle, they can tell the kids that if this doesn’t happen, then the garden wont grow. We are just there to help the kids understand why these things are important and why it is important to think green.
Also, we have been working with Boyd with their think green program. We are going to be eating lunch with the kids and teaching them how to think green. We are going to be teaching the kids ways to make the world more green along side what the teacher is covering. While the teacher is covering the subject like rain cycle, they can tell the kids that if this doesn’t happen, then the garden wont grow. We are just there to help the kids understand why these things are important and why it is important to think green.
Craftapalooza!- Anna Regan
Not only is today a great day because it's FRIDAY of HALLOWEEN WEEKEND, big things are in store for the Green Team at Boyd Elementary today. While our project has been off to a bit of a slow start, this past month has showed an increase of activity. Most recently our Summit House got the opportunity to first engage with the Green Team for this year's activities at a community garden event hosted at the garden accross the street from Cox North. This garden is one of many that are locally designed and maintained by a Springfield resident who is hoping to improve Springfield's green produce availability and to reinstill a degree of community activity through gardening initiatives connected with different elementary schools around Springfield. This project has proved to be a fantastic plug in for the Green Team at Boyd due to its convenient location and the ability of kids to do kid-friendly tasks like pulling weeds and hauling weeds to the compost section of the garden. Working against the setting sun and Attention Deficit Disorder (weed picking is only fun for approximately 5 minutes to the average 8 year old), our group was able to help prepare the garden for the frigid winter ahead!
Along with our garden efforts, our group is looking forward to heading over to Boyd today for a crafting extravaganza during recess with all ages of kids. As Desiree's post shows below we will be making mini Frankensteins from recyclable materials along with mini bird feeders made from pine cones, peanut butter, and bird seed. Each of these crafts will reinforce for the kids that using recyclable materials is not only FUN, but is also a way to better utilize recyclable objects as opposed to just throwing them out.
Also- after our crafting activities today, our group is looking forward to beginning our in class initiative on green presentations. These presentations will be catered to match the curriculum already in place for the month or week, and will tie in Green facts which will then seem a little more relevant to each kiddo. This month we will be covering exciting topics such as the water cycle and will bring in crafts and games to help the kids better understand the material we are presenting. Overall, we are looking forward to the next couple months with increased activity at Boyd and hope to have a good turnout today at recess.
Happy Halloween and see you guys tonight!
Along with our garden efforts, our group is looking forward to heading over to Boyd today for a crafting extravaganza during recess with all ages of kids. As Desiree's post shows below we will be making mini Frankensteins from recyclable materials along with mini bird feeders made from pine cones, peanut butter, and bird seed. Each of these crafts will reinforce for the kids that using recyclable materials is not only FUN, but is also a way to better utilize recyclable objects as opposed to just throwing them out.
Also- after our crafting activities today, our group is looking forward to beginning our in class initiative on green presentations. These presentations will be catered to match the curriculum already in place for the month or week, and will tie in Green facts which will then seem a little more relevant to each kiddo. This month we will be covering exciting topics such as the water cycle and will bring in crafts and games to help the kids better understand the material we are presenting. Overall, we are looking forward to the next couple months with increased activity at Boyd and hope to have a good turnout today at recess.
Happy Halloween and see you guys tonight!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Life's a garden. Dig it.
A few weeks ago, some of us got our first chance to help with Boyd's Think Green club. The kids and some parents have been working on a garden near Jefferson and Divison, by Cox North. In the garden they grow an assortment of vegetables. It's a fun activity for the kids: they can learn how to garden, watch their plants grow, and enjoy the fruits (or vegetables) of their labor. Mid-to-late October is not a very good time to plant anything new, so we prepped the garden for the next growing season, and harvested any healthy-looking vegetables that were ready to be picked.
(Some of the Boyd kids pose for a picture. I would provide names, but they each gave me a few different names... They don't tell their names to strangers.)
We put our green thumbs to work, pulling weeds and cutting back the tomato plants. A few of the kids went home with some beautiful green tomatoes.
We worked on the garden for about an hour, but then the sun began to set. We ended the day then, not wanting to mistakes the weed roots for the vegetable plant roots.
(Anna picking weeds.)
(A star weed-picker)
The leader of Think Green at Boyd Elementary said that there may be another time or two that they will work on the garden before spring. I look forward to another chance to work with the kids (and maybe becoming less of a stranger) and work on the garden.
If they decide to wait until spring, we've been brainstorming more ideas for recyclable crafts for the kids. One seasonal craft we might do:
It's simple, easy to make, and pretty stinkin' cute.
Back at the house, the Summit house, we're still working on keeping up with the recycling. If you're having trouble mustering up the motivation to gather the recycling and take it to the recycling center at Central and Summit, we're right there with you. But even if we aren't getting it done every week, we're still trying, and we're still getting it done (eventually). I hope you are, too.
Trust me. It's easier than you think.
-Desirée
The Summit Situation- Scherrer
We've been here for 2 months now, and I cannot say that I'm 100% satisfied with our progress. There have been many phone calls, emails, and group meetings within our group and within the community, but I have yet to say that we are making a difference in the lives of the students at Boyd. My group members did get a chance to work at the community garden a few weeks ago, which was great. But, we have run into numerous communication difficulties and time conflicts that our inhibiting the realization of the rest of our project.
Although we haven't accomplished many tangible goals yet, on the bright side, we have taken advantage of this time to build our relationships as a group and truly brainstorm about how to make our project even more innovative and meaningful. So far, we've added some new ideas to our plate of possible projects and we are currently working to get our "green" in-class presentations started. Some of the new ideas that we've been bouncing around are "green" lunch buddies and "green"/craft recesses. I was able to get in contact with the principal at Boyd, Mr. Grandon, about both of these ideas, and he is excited for us to come to Boyd and see them through! As little as 20 minutes ago, Mr. Grandon gave us the "go ahead" to set up a table this Friday at Boyd during recess. I'm beyond excited about this, and hopefully it will be the start of many more "green" recesses to come.
This project has been more work than expected, and has unfortunately taken a bit more time than I had anticipated to get started, but I know that it will all be worth it in the end.
Although we haven't accomplished many tangible goals yet, on the bright side, we have taken advantage of this time to build our relationships as a group and truly brainstorm about how to make our project even more innovative and meaningful. So far, we've added some new ideas to our plate of possible projects and we are currently working to get our "green" in-class presentations started. Some of the new ideas that we've been bouncing around are "green" lunch buddies and "green"/craft recesses. I was able to get in contact with the principal at Boyd, Mr. Grandon, about both of these ideas, and he is excited for us to come to Boyd and see them through! As little as 20 minutes ago, Mr. Grandon gave us the "go ahead" to set up a table this Friday at Boyd during recess. I'm beyond excited about this, and hopefully it will be the start of many more "green" recesses to come.
This project has been more work than expected, and has unfortunately taken a bit more time than I had anticipated to get started, but I know that it will all be worth it in the end.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Hey! Look over here!
Everybody! The Think Green meeting Taylor and I went to tonight gave us some excellent cross-over information about "green" architecture and living "green." I'm beyond excited to "greenify" our house with Wendy asap! Here are a couple of quick tips that we got that I feel I need to share with all of you!
Green Tip #1
Before you go to buy groceries the next time, check out goodguide.com. It has all kinds of wonderful information about which products are the greenest! Check it out!!! It will make shopping so much more fun and environmentally-friendly!
Green Tip #2
If you decide to wash your windows, use old newspapers instead of brand new paper towels! Anna gave me this idea and it works fantastically!
Stay classy Summit!
-Amy
Friday, September 24, 2010
Summit: A Journey Unfolding
Thus far my experience in Summit housing has been wonderful. Apart from the immediate perks and comforts of the actual houses, the atmosphere of the house has also been very enjoyable. There have not really been any huge conflicts and everybody seems to enjoy each other’s company. Being a fairly different living situation then what I have ever been accustomed to, I have adapted well. Summit, like college park, challenges its inhabitant to support themselves and their habits without any outside assistance. Not having an authority figure or RA telling me what to and what not to do might seem like a dream. However, it has been quite a task being in charge of my own wellbeing. I’ve learned to cooperate with my housemates to find routines and schedules that work for us. Having my own room for the first time in nearly ten years has been a drastic change as well. While that has strangely affected my sleeping habits, I have been working to find a groove that works for me. I thoroughly enjoy that fact that both the upstairs and downstairs groups in my Summit house are genuinely connected. Being able to talk to and hang out with any one individual in the entire house or go out as a big group has made all the difference for me. With this being said, everyone has their own time either alone or with friends outside which helps balance any overwhelming or suffocating feelings that might be derived from hanging out with the same people all the time. Also, being good friends with the people in the house makes it easier for outside friends to feel comfortable when hanging out at the house. Overall, I think that while Summit has presented me with some challenges, it has so far been an amazing experience and I strongly look forward to working with my housemates on our Summit project. Each and every person in my group brings great contributions to the group which should make for an outstanding project come the end of this school year.
Summit Rivera
I wanted to live in Summit because it's a great opportunity to develop a community service project in an area that I've never lived in before (as I am an international student), and look into the different kind of needs that this area has as opposed to the community service projects I've carried out in my own country, Guatemala. The housing is awesome, and that was a great motivational factor to get involved with the project.
So far, living in Summit has been great. I have no complaints, and it is a great step up from the dorms. The housing is beautiful and very well located. I've learned that the house is designed to comply with the environment, and certain things have been modified to make sure we live in a Think Green state of mind. I've never before lived in a house where we recycle glass, plastic, and paper (in Guatemala, recycling is not a priority for most people, unfortunately). This has made me grow into the good habit of always recycling, and being conscious also about the energy and water consumption. We met up with Wendy Anderson to talk about how else we can be conscious of things, and I learned certain aspects of the house that were done on purpose that I was unaware of up until that point. Because our project (Go Green at Boyd) is very at level with the mentality behind the housing at Summit, I'm excited to start out with the Boyd kids and to learn things that I've never thought of before until now that I'm exposed to the knowledge and good habits behind being environmentally conscious.
So far, living in Summit has been great. I have no complaints, and it is a great step up from the dorms. The housing is beautiful and very well located. I've learned that the house is designed to comply with the environment, and certain things have been modified to make sure we live in a Think Green state of mind. I've never before lived in a house where we recycle glass, plastic, and paper (in Guatemala, recycling is not a priority for most people, unfortunately). This has made me grow into the good habit of always recycling, and being conscious also about the energy and water consumption. We met up with Wendy Anderson to talk about how else we can be conscious of things, and I learned certain aspects of the house that were done on purpose that I was unaware of up until that point. Because our project (Go Green at Boyd) is very at level with the mentality behind the housing at Summit, I'm excited to start out with the Boyd kids and to learn things that I've never thought of before until now that I'm exposed to the knowledge and good habits behind being environmentally conscious.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Where's it at? (Summit! Summit!) That's a habitat.
This episode of Sesame Street aired yesterday morning, the word on the street being, habitat. For my entire life, the Midwest, and the Ozarks have been my habitat. For the past year, Springfield has been my habitat, and for the past month or so, Summit has been my habitat.
Habits make a habitat
Keeping up with certain habits is vital to maintaining a habitat. But with this "greener" Summit Park house, out goal is to not only maintain a habitat, but also maintain it in a sustainable way. An important part of living a greener lifestyle is to realize that picking up certain habits and dropping others can also effect other, more natural, habitats.
The rapping real-estate taught Big Bird about various habitats for birds such as the beach, the swamp, and the rainforest. While watching this episode, I thought, "Wow, not one of these bird habitats is completely safe from human manipulation or destruction." One of the goals with this Summit house was energy efficiency. I never knew all of the plans for this particular Summit house, but I know that some of them fell through. And so, our Summit group can't simply depend on an energy-efficient dishwasher or a solar-powered television so that we can call ourselves "greener".
We all have habits that are not all that energy efficient. These are habits that we've learned from our families, or our friends, or the people on TV. But it's important to become aware of wasteful habits. I'm as guilty as anyone else. But here's a few easy ones to change if you just take the time to think about it:
We all have habits that are not all that energy efficient. These are habits that we've learned from our families, or our friends, or the people on TV. But it's important to become aware of wasteful habits. I'm as guilty as anyone else. But here's a few easy ones to change if you just take the time to think about it:
1. Turn off the lights when you leave the room.
I remember when I was little, right before we were going to leave on vacation, I once turned on all of the lights in the basement to see if it would become blindingly white. Luckily, my parents checked to make sure all of them were off before we left.
P.S. My basement didn't become blindingly white.
2. Turn off the television when you leave the room.
Sometimes you're just going to the bathroom or grabbing something from the other room. Sometimes someone else just went into the other room and you thought they were coming back. But don't be lazy. If they've been gone for a while and you don't want to watch TV anymore, but you want to be polite just in case, ask them (they'll probably say no, they don't want to watch anymore TV) and then turn it off.
3. Waiting for the sink water to get real hot so you can wash your hands real clean-like.
This is one I'm recently/currently guilty of. Sometimes it takes a long time for the sink water to heat up, and that is a lot of wasted water. Well, maybe not a lot. But too much. Unless someone posts some sort of statistic saying how much healthier and cleaner I am going to be if I wash my hands only under hot water, I am going to start, sigh, washing my hands in cold water.
And for a few that take a little more effort (but not much, so you should definitely do these, too):
4. Ride a bike!
It's better exercise than driving, and the weather is wonderful right now. It's great if you ride it around Drury campus, but maybe next time you're going downtown or to do some minor grocery shopping at Price Cutter or Dillon's, why not ride your bike? If you don't have one, maybe you have a friend who doesn't ride his/hers much and would let you borrow one. And if that's not a possibility, walking or running is an option. True, it's not as time-efficient as biking or driving, but if you have some extra time on your hands and want to go somewhere relatively close, why not just walk instead? It's often even better exercise than biking!
5. Recycle (And Reduse, and Reuse, too, please)
Hopefully our group can start teaching the kids of Boyd Elementary all of these good habits, so they can learn them while they're young.
One last thing that is sooooooooo bad (and we've been noticing it just piles up). Styrofoam. Sometimes it's easier just to take the Commons to-go. Especially when they surprisingly have a lot of wonderful desserts that you don't want to eat all at once.
My suggestion: (which I have yet to implement but will begin to do so today) bring in your own tupperware container (swipe your card still). I'd like to see if there are better to-go options than styrofoam, but none of the options are too great.
-Desirée
summit house 629- Ethan Graham
I love being here with the boys, its a lot of fun around these parts. They asked me to be apart of this group last year at the end of the year. I couldn't turn it down. The house in wonderful and we have ajusted to each others life style very well. I am hoping to teach the kids at Boyd how to think green and how to pick up after themselves in a green way. Not only will we be teaching the kids, but hopfully the kids will take it back home with them and have teach their parents how to be green as well. This has so many effects on the world. If you start with kids, then as they grow older and older, they will teacher their kids and their kids will teach their kids and so. But not only will they effect their childern but other family members as well. This cycle will change the world as we know it as far as thinking green. This is what i hope will happen from this project of ours. If it does then the next group of people who live in summit can teach the next group of children at Boyd the same thing so the cycle never ends. As far as this helping my life, it will help me to become better at thing green. I have to say I am not the best think green person around, but i am hoping to change that after this year. I hope not only will it change me but be able to change my parents and other family members how to be green as well.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Summit; Month 1- Taylor Smith
My first month living in the Summit house has been great. All the hard work I put into getting this house has finally paid off. Having a kitchen and my own room makes Summit so much nicer than the dorm was. What got my initial interest in Summit was my friend who lived in a house last year, so when the time came for new people to try and get in, I was excited to hear that my friends were already putting together a group. When I found out that I could be living in the first carbon-neutral house on campus, I got even more excited. Not everything has gone according to plan, but things are working themselves out.
Unfortunately when I got here I found out not much was done to make the house green. In fact, the only thing I could tell had been done was that our light bulbs were changed out. Fortunately Wendy Anderson has told us that she has some money we can use to help make the building greener. We are looking into using the money to purchase more energy/cost efficient appliances, as well as caulking the windows. We have already begun to recycle, and so far we have made three trips to the recycling center.
Our project, Think Green at Boyd Elementary, is off to a pretty slow start. We have contacted our community leader about helping them with their Think Green group, but the group has not yet started up this year. They are discussing moving their twice a month meetings to Tuesdays instead of Thursdays, but I wish they would make up their minds so we can get started! I am excited to be able to influence kids about a green way of life and I think with what our group brings to theirs Think Green at Boyd Elementary will grow even larger.
When the time comes that I have to leave Summit, I hope that I will take some things with me. The experience I gain in leadership while living here I will be able to use throughout my life. I also hope to learn some new ways of being green, and influence some kids to adopt a green way of life. I want to establish ties with community leaders and businesses that are green in Springfield, and I think that can be done by organizing field trips.
Overall my Summit experience so far has been a pleasant one. I have had a lot of fun settling in, showing friends the house, cooking food in the kitchen, and not having to pay for each load of laundry. I just wish the project could have been started by now.
Unfortunately when I got here I found out not much was done to make the house green. In fact, the only thing I could tell had been done was that our light bulbs were changed out. Fortunately Wendy Anderson has told us that she has some money we can use to help make the building greener. We are looking into using the money to purchase more energy/cost efficient appliances, as well as caulking the windows. We have already begun to recycle, and so far we have made three trips to the recycling center.
Our project, Think Green at Boyd Elementary, is off to a pretty slow start. We have contacted our community leader about helping them with their Think Green group, but the group has not yet started up this year. They are discussing moving their twice a month meetings to Tuesdays instead of Thursdays, but I wish they would make up their minds so we can get started! I am excited to be able to influence kids about a green way of life and I think with what our group brings to theirs Think Green at Boyd Elementary will grow even larger.
When the time comes that I have to leave Summit, I hope that I will take some things with me. The experience I gain in leadership while living here I will be able to use throughout my life. I also hope to learn some new ways of being green, and influence some kids to adopt a green way of life. I want to establish ties with community leaders and businesses that are green in Springfield, and I think that can be done by organizing field trips.
Overall my Summit experience so far has been a pleasant one. I have had a lot of fun settling in, showing friends the house, cooking food in the kitchen, and not having to pay for each load of laundry. I just wish the project could have been started by now.
Thinking Green Starts in the Home -Proszek
Our Summit group's environmentally conscious project involves eco-friendly thinking at Boyd Elementary. It is therefore likely that our primary efforts will be concentrated at the school and in the immediate community. One place where I did not think we would have to focus our efforts, however, is in our own home. At the end of last semester, the acceptance of our "Think Green" project came with the promise of a energy-smart home that reflected the core ideals of the project.
Upon our arrival this semester, my group discovered that the "green standards" of our humble abode were barely above average. Thus we have taken on a new challenge of reducing our carbon footprint in our apartment. Here are a few of the problems and solutions that we are working toward this semester:
1. Recycling: Initially the only recycling option available was one black bin on each floor. The only collectible recycling bin is all the way down central street. Our solution is to place three large bins on each floor of the house. One for glass, cardboard, and aluminum, while keeping the small black recycling bin for paper. In addition to adding recycling bins to the house we are going to petition the university to place a collectible recycling bin in the Summit parking lot.
2. Appliances: Currently our dishwasher, washing machine, and dryer are the same out-dated systems that are common to all Summit apartments.These appliances must be switched out with more energy efficient systems in order for our group to reduce our carbon footprint. We hope to find and purchase energy efficient appliances with some of our budget money for both floors of our apartment.
3. Renovations: Small home projects that can reduce our energy consumption have not been performed in the house. Caulking windows, foaming the space between electrical outlets, readjusting the hot water temperature, and installing solar panels are all innovations which could help make this house more green.
Again, as the semester progresses, our group will concentrate our efforts not only at Boyd Elementary, but also at the home to make sure that we think green at all times.
Upon our arrival this semester, my group discovered that the "green standards" of our humble abode were barely above average. Thus we have taken on a new challenge of reducing our carbon footprint in our apartment. Here are a few of the problems and solutions that we are working toward this semester:
1. Recycling: Initially the only recycling option available was one black bin on each floor. The only collectible recycling bin is all the way down central street. Our solution is to place three large bins on each floor of the house. One for glass, cardboard, and aluminum, while keeping the small black recycling bin for paper. In addition to adding recycling bins to the house we are going to petition the university to place a collectible recycling bin in the Summit parking lot.
2. Appliances: Currently our dishwasher, washing machine, and dryer are the same out-dated systems that are common to all Summit apartments.These appliances must be switched out with more energy efficient systems in order for our group to reduce our carbon footprint. We hope to find and purchase energy efficient appliances with some of our budget money for both floors of our apartment.
3. Renovations: Small home projects that can reduce our energy consumption have not been performed in the house. Caulking windows, foaming the space between electrical outlets, readjusting the hot water temperature, and installing solar panels are all innovations which could help make this house more green.
Again, as the semester progresses, our group will concentrate our efforts not only at Boyd Elementary, but also at the home to make sure that we think green at all times.
Life Lately at 629 E Calhoun- Anna Regan
Although we only moved in a little over a month ago, it feels as if we have been back at Drury for months! Between Summit commitments, extra curricular activities, and a full schedule, this semester is proving to be quiiiite the busy one. Even with all of the crazy scheduling, however, living at Summit and our "Think Green" project are looking like they will be an extremely enjoyable aspect of sophomore year.
Over the past month it has been exciting to get to settled into our new home, and to enjoy the first month of the post-dorm lifestyle. Although I knew most everyone in our house before moving in, it has been great to get to spend more time with them while brainstorming our upcoming events for our year long partnership with Boyd Elementary.
Since our group is "Think Green at Boyd," we have started the year off, most appropriately, by thinking green in the context of our own home. Last week our group met with our advisor, and campus sustainability contact, Wendy Anderson. With her help we have begun planning changes that we can make in our home, including caulking windows, lowering the thermostat, insulating our water heater, forming a recycling plan, etc. in order to make sure that we are not only promoting green living at the school, but that we are also practicing it ourselves! We are also looking at long-term projects such as installing solar panels and more energy efficient appliances, and possibly expanding our garden in front of the house as a way of leaving behind a more green summit house than the one that we have inherited.
It is my hope that our project will not only be impactive on the students at Boyd, but that our group will be able to learn more about sustainability and living a green lifestyle along the way too.
Over the past month it has been exciting to get to settled into our new home, and to enjoy the first month of the post-dorm lifestyle. Although I knew most everyone in our house before moving in, it has been great to get to spend more time with them while brainstorming our upcoming events for our year long partnership with Boyd Elementary.
Since our group is "Think Green at Boyd," we have started the year off, most appropriately, by thinking green in the context of our own home. Last week our group met with our advisor, and campus sustainability contact, Wendy Anderson. With her help we have begun planning changes that we can make in our home, including caulking windows, lowering the thermostat, insulating our water heater, forming a recycling plan, etc. in order to make sure that we are not only promoting green living at the school, but that we are also practicing it ourselves! We are also looking at long-term projects such as installing solar panels and more energy efficient appliances, and possibly expanding our garden in front of the house as a way of leaving behind a more green summit house than the one that we have inherited.
It is my hope that our project will not only be impactive on the students at Boyd, but that our group will be able to learn more about sustainability and living a green lifestyle along the way too.
Why Summit is the Place for Me- Scherrer
Living in Summit for the past month has been more than I expected, in all aspects of the word. It has been more fun, more excitement, more work, and more of a community than I had anticipated. I originally chose to live in Summit Park because of the opportunity it would give me to make a difference in the lives of local Springfield community members. I became even more interested when I discovered that there would be an option to live in a carbon-neutral home and that I would have the chance to implement an environmentally friendly project. I was excited for the possibility to live in a house, a real house, with my friends and work with elementary school kids at Boyd!
I hope to gain many valuable experiences throughout the 2010-2011 school year in Summit. First of all, I wish to better my friendships with all of the members in our Summit group and I hope to better our professional relationships as well. I would like to build a good reputation at Boyd Elementary with the principal, teachers, and Think Green advisors. In addition to cementing my friendships and professional relationships, I hope to truly educate the Think Green members at Boyd and the other Boyd students. Using our leadership skills to direct Think Green meetings and give eco-friendly in-class presentations to students of all ages, my group and I should be able to introduce the children to a new realm of “green” culture. I hope to feel fulfilled and accomplished by the end of the school year, knowing that I made a difference in the lives of young “green thinkers,” and promoted environmentally friendly practices in the next generation.
I undoubtedly see the Summit Park project impacting my life in a positive light. I will be able to share my passion for environment and eco-friendly practices with my peers, local school students, and professionals in the local area. I have high hopes for the months to come.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)