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Summer and Fall Educational Initiatives

Dear friends, we wanted to share with you some of the educational initiatives we have carried out in the summer and fall of 2020.

 

We have teamed up with the Nativity School in Worcester to provide students with learning activities for the challenging summer months during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Nativity School in Worcester is a Jesuit middle school offering all-scholarship education to boys of all backgrounds. This summer we teamed up with the student’s Green Team, with their Cooking Club as well as with the school’s Summer of Service initiative.

Green Team Compost Experiment

The Nativity School’s Green team focuses on projects related to environmental sustainability. Here at the Agro-Eco Project we devised a fun experiment kit challenging the students to see if soil rich in compost helps sunflower seeds germinate quicker than normal potting soil. The Green Team students received a kit complete with pots, soil, compost and seeds. They also received a small handout walking them through the steps of the scientific method as well as an info sheet to learn all about compost: what it is, why it is important for our environment and how to make it at home.

 

Cooking Club Home Herb Kit

As our plans for in-person cooking classes were scratched due to the ongoing pandemic, we thought we could help students cook at home. We delivered a Home Herb Garden seed starting kit consisting of pots, soil, and seeds. Students were encouraged to grow basil, dill, thyme and parsley, and given an info sheet describing the culinary uses and nutritional aspects of the herbs.

 

Summer of Service: Planting Pollinator Friendly Habitat for our Community

Every summer the Nativity boys participate in a Summer of Service initiative where they engage in activities that help and enrich their community. This summer the Agro-Eco Project has provided 50 Nativity students with soil, planters and seeds with the purpose of establishing plants that attract beneficial pollinators. Pollinating insect populations such as bees are declining dramatically in part because of a lack of plants and flowers which have historically sustained them. Much of their natural habitat has been negatively affected by human disturbance, particularly in urban areas. It is therefore critical to re-establish some of their preferred plants that will sustain and nourish their populations, if only for our human food needs: according to the UN FAO up to 35% of the world’s crop production is dependent on pollinators such as bees, birds and bats. The Nativity students planted 50 pots with a variety of seeds that will provide ample forage for insects and birds in their neighborhoods. They also received an info sheet explaining what pollination is and the critical role it plays in sustaining our ecosystems and our agriculture. By growing these plants, Nativity students will be providing a very much needed environmental service to their community.

 

 

 

Grow your own Microgreens!

This fall, we provided seeds and materials for the students to grow their own microgreens at home. Microgreens are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals and fun to grow at home as well!

If you are an educator or institution interested in our educational initiatives or materials don’t hesitate to contact us at info@agroecoproject.org

 

Best wishes from the team here at the Agro-Eco Project

 

Giulio, Katie and Kate