Courtesy Ben Laterell
Students in Portland , Ore. , get to learn about installing gardens , cook organically and selling at farmers ’ markets thanks to a Classroom Earth grant .
Teachers across the land face standardised challenges on a day - to - day cornerstone , but what do teachers Remy Dou of Miami , Fla. , James Lorenz of Minneapolis , and Tom McKenna of Portland , Ore. , in particular , have in usual ?
All three are 2010 receiver of the National Environmental Education Foundation ’s Classroom Earth National High School Challenge Grants .
Overall , 10 gamey schooling teachers across the rural area received the $ 4,000 grants to follow up originative , thought - provoking lesson design to increase environmental literacy for students in grades 9 through 12 . These three urban educators are using their funds to research matter such as aeroponic horticulture , aboriginal ecology and gardening with a focus on the political science of food for thought .
Classroom Earth , a five - twelvemonth partnership between the NEEF and the Weather Channel , focuses on providing resourcefulness for educators to employ in the classroom and empower them to teach environmental Education Department beyond middle school .
“ Ultimately we require to improve the environmental literacy of students , ” explain Bobby Cato , senior training projection manager with NEEF . “ In addition to the Duncan Grant , we created a companion societal mesh where high school pupil can apply for grants of their own , search college programs focused on sustainability and apply for green occupation . AtPlanetConnect.org , students can post their own videos and article . ”
Student-supported Agriculture
constitute in 1995 , Oregon ’s Portland YouthBuilders program supports low - income hands and women age 18 to 24 who have not completed eminent school . scholarly person receive pedagogy , vocational training and leadership exploitation . The organisation back youth who are attached to change their lives to become self - sufficient , contributing members of the workforce and their community of interests .
“ With our Classroom Earth funding , we are planting a garden on the school grounds while regard the intact student population across all disciplines in learning about food for thought , technique oforganic gardeningand composting , ” explains McKenna , a PYB teacher .
Sid Klein , sustainability managing director at PYB , say they began to develop a programme to hold for the grant after considering how the school could expose its bookman population to nutrient in room educatee have never considered .
“ For most , intellectual nourishment is an issue of survival , ” Klein says . “ Their experience is enquire where they will purchase their next meal . They have a grievous dependence on food for thought stamp and confront solid food insecurity every Clarence Shepard Day Jr. . We want to address food insecurity and to encourage deeper thinking about where their food do from beyond the local gas place or food pantry . ”
Lessons focalize on where foods add up from , the significance of how far food for thought travels and who students are supporting through solid food - purchase decision . Classes will also moot food output — the impact of how food is produced , the impact on who produces it and the impact on the environment .
Students will be absorb in the garden induction by reckon the garden ’s dimension , ascertain how place will be used and train the garden for planting . bookman will be responsible for for incline the garden and compose about their solid food experiences as the garden grows and matures .
Local chef will be instruct PYB students to prepare organic meal , and students will create sizeable meals , sharing recipes with one another and teaching one another about constitutive foods .
A age bracket of student from PYB has already been sour at urban farms in the Portland field . Each weekend , the students serve two area farmers ’ market , working with seller and fielding shopper questions . At the remnant of each market mean solar day , they reap excess produce and bring it back to the schoolhouse , where it is distributed among the students .
“ Basically , we are running a complimentary CSA , ” Klein says . The installation of their own on - website garden will enable pupil to get their own veg to supplement farmers ’ market gleanings and leave abundant , fresh , organic garden truck for bookman and their family .
Applying for the Grant
NEEF anticipates launch the 2011 grant bicycle this fall . To watch more about the grant , see grant awarding and show past projection descriptions , visitClassroomEarth.org .
