Liam’s Biology Teacher

We got this email from Liam’s biology teacher yesterday about all the things Liam’s class has been up too. Its quite impressive!

Hello friends, supporters, colleagues, family, inspirers, and community members,

It is with great pleasure and pride that I write you with news on the outcome of the first Mycelia 2nd Semester Project that took place in my five honors biology classes over the past 15 weeks at Whitney M. Young Magnet High School.

Our youth have been tasked with the responsibility of improving the world by consciously making insightful decisions and thoughtful actions which, in turn, improves the quality of the environment. The challenge is, this is not really taught in any class.

The objective of the Mycelia Project is to encourage the students to make a positive impact on their community’s (however they choose to define it) environment while addressing a minimum of five of the following nine pillars: food, community, health, gardening, energy, ecology, sustainability, education, and water.

Students in groups of three to seven, with a mean size of four per group brainstormed and became inspired after watching over 88.75 hours of TED.com and Taylor Mali’s Apple A Day. The range of topics that students did varied; some students defining community as being online, encouraged them to turn off electricity in their house and gather their family and friends and play a game together to conserve energy (Thank you Evil Controllers for your help!).

Another group created recycled jewelry which they sold to raise money to donate to an urban farm called Growing Power, with whom they volunteered with to learn how to farm in the city. Several other groups worked with groups like WeFarm America, a group dedicated to creating urban gardens throughout the city. These students installed 879 square feet of raised garden beds throughout 14 of Chicago’s food deserts in an effort to raise awareness and help others to improve their health and diet. With the generosity of the Friends of Whitney Young, an alumni and parent organization dedicated to raising money to support activities at the school, students were able to learn grant writing skills and write their own grants for their Food-Desert-based-projects. Students on average wrote and received grants of $179 which they then were responsible for arranging and getting reimbursed for their materials. One group used their grant money to help Project Butterfly empower young urban women through gardening. They purchased and built garden beds to help Project Butterfly achieve their mission.

Groups also worked hard to learn from others, including Executive Director of Sweet Water Foundation Emmanuel Pratt, Executive Director of Center for Urban Transformation Orrin Williams, Vice President of Chartwells Food Services Bob Bloomer, Purple Asparagus chef and “head spear” Melissa Graham. In total they interviewed 127 people to learn far more than what any one teacher could teach them.

Together my 150 freshman ages 13-15 years completed 1208 hours of real community service educating, building and planting food gardens, removing non-native invasive species, picking up trash, and educating others. As they soon recognized the power of their voice, the effectiveness of their numbers, and their own ability to lead and motivate they addressed 8,242 people about what they were learning, why it is important and how they can help to make a difference.

One group worked to understand, document, and educate others on how Chicago’s recycling program works and where all of the city’s recycled paper goes in Alsip, IL. A different group, Message in a Bottle looked at how we must stop using plastic water bottles seeing that over 25 million are thrown out every hour in America alone. To curb this they ordered, designed, and sold metal reusable bottles with all proceeds going to support the Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Students put on art fairs showcasing repurposed trash transformed into clever art pieces, concerts highlighting sustainable practices including reducing energy consumption. All together they taught 1368 people of all ages about the pillars listed above and how individuals can make a difference by just doing one thing (DOT) and raising over $1200 to be donated to environmental causes.

Technology was implemented in the ways they understand, to create 21 websites, 238 blog posts, and 48 videos about what they are doing to make a difference in their community.

They became inspired by reading Michael Pollan’s Omnivores Dilemma and told over 3282 people about the impacts of their food choices on both their health as well as on the health of the environment. Additionally they cooked 142 homemade meals (many from scratch) to serve to their family. Each meal culturally significant to each student’s ancestry.

Then they talked. And they spoke to their families and friends about the risks of cancer, stroke, diabetes II, coronary heart failure, and obesity on Americans as a direct result of the foods we eat and our lack of a healthy food culture. In fact they worked to improve the diets of 1094 people, young and old, parents, siblings, and other family.

Two groups built 19 vertical gardens for businesses, schools, and food shelters that feed the homeless in urban areas where out door space is limited, but window space is abundant to grow fresh culinary herbs and encourage healthier cooking.

Another group is currently working on building their own wind turbine to generate electricity for our schools aquaponics system. The aquaponics systems was used as a resource to teach the importance of water conservation, sustainability, and urban farming. All 30 groups built their own miniature aquaponics system and learned how to take their concepts and ideas and turn them into realities with the help of Google’s Sketchup, Brew and Grow, and Alternative Garden Supplies all-the-while collecting long term data on the conditions their plants are growing in. Of course it wouldn’t be a science class if we didn’t explain the nitrogen cycle and how our fish’s ammonia waste is converted to nitrite and then into nitrate which is used as fertilizer for the arugula, tomatoes, basil, and peppers being grown in their systems within the schools’ greenhouse.

I am very proud of the work your child has accomplished. While many of my students have told me I have inspired them and that they will continue to pursue their projects after they turn in their work; I can honestly say the inspiration they have provided me is far greater. I believe in our students and the fate of our environmental future. I know they are capable. I know they are hardworking. I know they are excellent. And above all else, I know they are mindful and committed to a sustainable future. Additionally, I know they are not alone.

There are many others who can benefit from this project’s experiences. If you know of any other teacher who would like to learn more about the Mycelia Project, please forward this on to them. I believe all students need the opportunity to recognize the true potential they have.

Additionally, I wish to thank you for supporting your child this past year as they have transitioned and excelled in my class. I know your son/daughter worked really really hard for me and they would not have been able to have done as well as they did if they did not have the love of support you have given them. So I think you for your efforts in raising a wonderful teenager! Enjoy the summer!

Kindly,

Todd Katz
Honors Biology Teacher
www.MyceliaProject.info (to launch in July)