The Urban Design & Sustainability Program: Week 5

Our last week together has arrived sooner than imagined. The time goes by so fast! We’re going to miss our amazing group of kids. They have learned so much because they have open minds and are cultivating a passion for saving the planet. ​

The field trip for Week 5 was visiting the Science Barge, where students saw, touched, and experienced everything they’ve studied, as well as the green technologies they’ve learned about. They had an opportunity to see how these things are actually put into practice, witnessing first-hand how we can use low-tech and inexpensive solutions to improve the environment. 

For Week 5, we finished assembling our bug hotels. We also focused on the Permaculture Principle of Accept Feedback and Apply Self-Regulation. Although this can apply to anything, students learned how to accept feedback from nature by relying on a language older than words. In response to Mother Nature’s signs, warnings, and messages, they embraced the idea of being humble enough to apply self-regulation in their lives to face down our greatest existential threat: climate disruption.

Honoring this theme, students wrote letters to government officials, asking them to help  stop climate disruption. Their hope is these politicians will accept feedback from children who want nothing more than a healthy, green place to live. We’re so proud of what they’ve learned and accomplished in such a short-time. Our students are quickly transforming into young eco-citizens, ready to tackle today’s real-world challenges.