BOD 2018 Partners

Author

Monica Ibacache, Executive Director

Winter 2018 - Partners and Plans
​
2018 is off to a great start for Beyond Organic Design!  It may be cold outside, but our instructors are busy at work teaching, curriculum planning and preparing for the amazing growing season ahead of us. While the groundhog may have seen his shadow, we are hoping for some warm days that will allow us to get our students outside sooner!

This spring and summer our partners have many exciting things happening and we’re thrilled to jump right in.  For example, ….    

One of our year long partnerships is with the YM & YWHA of Washington Heights & Inwood. We are working with several of their programs including their Nursery School, Be-Me After School and Columbia Secondary School (CSS) After School. Through these programs we are working with students 3 years to 14 years, and we’re having a blast doing it!

Other BOD partnerships are with the Renaissance Charter School and Central Park East II.   Please follow our social media channels for photos and updates from our classes.

Read more about our BOD partners:

YM & YWHA
Beyond Organic Design has partnered with YM & YWHA, supporting their innovative and hands on educational programming  made available to their communities.
​Our permaculture program has merged with their edible rooftop garden and serves their preschool and after school program, kindergarten to fifth grade. BOD moves edible gardens towards becoming vibrant outdoor classroom and the Y’s rooftop garden is no different. Students are busy creating animal habit, learn about native plants and local wildlife. Through integration children learn about urban ecology and agriculture.

• Nursery School
  Preschool students love feeding the worms in the rooftop vermicompost and learning about the important role birds play in the garden. Creating bird feeders for their bird friends was definitely a highlight activity for the season.  As was making all natural soap with dried herbs from the rooftop garden.
• Be Me After School Program
  After school students have been busy learning about the importance of seeds, how to save them, how to select the right ones for your garden, how to read a seed catalog and seed packet. Students have even been creating beautiful seed art and mosaics.

Philip Randolph High School
The R.E.C.O. club is a student-run green club supervised by school faculty.  They combine the science-based urban sustainability agenda with community service and volunteer work. Our partnership with these inspiring, engaged students  is a natural one in that it aligns with our values of civic engagement and solutions oriented approaches to urban sustainability. Their rooftop greenhouse is being rehabilitated but meanwhile we are starting seeds and preparing for the upcoming growing season. Our spring fundraiser will be a plant sale. They will offer vegetables, herbs, and flowers to their communities, all proceeds going to fund their club.

Renaissance Charter School
The Renaissance Charter School (TRCS) is on the cutting edge of responsible, progressive public education.
​
BOD's collaboration with TRCS created NYC's first free, full time permaculture summer program. The Urban Design & Sustainability Program (UDSP) launched in 2016, currently renewed for its third year. Year round BOD also supporting TRCS with their Leadership Program a year long internship class that teaches job skills and career readiness. As well as their upcoming Little Sizzle program that is a weeklong service learning program.

• Leadership Program
  Fall/ Winter semester of LP  begins right at the end of our growing season in NYC. We harvested seeds and dried herbs like peppermint to make tea.
• “Urban Farming “Little Sizzle ( weeklong service learning intensive)
  Explore the world of Urban Farming in NYC. What do farms look like in NYC? Are they like the ones outside of the city? Why or Why not? What makes a farm healthy? We will learn the characteristics of urban farms and explore farm design as a way to address common challenges. The  interactive, hands on week is full of field trips to local farms, hands on work in the the school’s greenhouse, and introduction to farm design.
• UDSP
  While UDSP takes place during the summer, we are busy planning all of the fun trips, activities, and guest speakers that will wow our students during the five week camp.

Central Park East II
Beyond Organic Design’s partnership with  Central Park East II is based on our shared vision of  progressive education that allows children to learn how to be creative and critical thinkers.  Central Park East II 's mission includes educating children to know that they can make a difference in the world.

​Our collaboration includes the integration of the edible garden and urban sustainability into their science curriculum. We’re working with students to incorporate composting, plant science, and cooking into their weekly science time.

---

BOD's collaboration with Be Me Afterschool Program with grades Kindergarten through Fifth.

​