Alyssa
and Isaac
We
started the day at Southeastern Middle School. We met Jay and Allison from
Edventure and learned about the “Maker Space” Project in schools in
impoverished areas of Columbia, SC. The purpose is to introduce students to
various fields of science and technical areas to see what interests the kids
have. Jay is working on putting 3D printers in classrooms to enhance the
potential of the classrooms, among other projects.
Our
job today was working on the communal garden in the atrium of the school, where
the gardening club grows fresh vegetables to sell at a local farmers market.
The wooden framework of the garden plots hadn’t been replaced since 2007, so
they were falling apart and needed to be replaced. So first we broke down and
removed the framework from the plots. We also removed sticks and debris to
beautify the area. Then we hacked at the weeds that were growing on the plants
which had been preventing vegetables from taking root.
After
lots of raking and hoe-swinging, we had removed most of the weeds and turned
over the soil so the kids could place a fresh layer of soil and plant a new crop
of vegetables without doing so much manual labor themselves. Before leaving,
Jay informed us on the demographics of the school, that it is nearly 100%
African American and that every student gets free or reduced lunch. We passed a
bulletin board that reflected test scores which showed that the students were
often below average in math and reading areas. This helped us understand why it
was important for us to come in and make any contribution we can make to help
them enjoy their gardening more, which is good exercise and supports a healthy
lifestyle, as well as helping them enjoy their studies more.
We went to Edventure at 2 and
Allison gave us a tour. She informed us that most of the kids who go there are
relatively poor, so this facility gives a safe place for them to explore and
learn. There were a variety of differently themed rooms, with many
age-appropriate books, a grocery store simulation, which helped familiarize
them with healthy foods to buy when shopping. There was a pizza themed room
which allowed the kids to work on their math skills, as well as a science and
engineering exhibit.
The
main attraction was a four-story tall child named “Eddy”. It was a huge jungle
gym in the form of a boy that allowed explorers to learn about anatomy while
moving and playing inside his organs. It was even fun for us college kids so
the children must be having a great time, especially if the kids don’t have
access to playgrounds.
Overall
it was a very effective learning environment cleverly disguised as an amusement
park for children of all backgrounds.
After
that we took a quick trip to the zoo and had a group dinner and a(nother) game
of mafia J
Were
excited to go back to harvest hope tomorrow and help however we can!
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