Carver Middle School seventh-graders win 2022 Greener Greenspace Project
Sept. 8, 2022
Find a space in their community that needs improvement. Develop a solution to make the space greener, with a $1,000 budget. Create a proposal and submit it to the districtwide Greener Greenspace Project competition.
For SPS seventh-graders, the Greener Greenspace unit is part project-based learning, part actual contest, with actual winners. And this year, Carver Middle School seventh-graders Jeffrey Crain, Alaxas Reyes and Astrin Reid were the districtwide winners.
"To prepare for the project-based learning unit, all seventh-graders go to the Watershed Center and Fantastic Caverns, as well as a visit from the City of Springfield Solid Waste Management department, to learn about best land management practices," said Ann Wallenmeyer, science curriculum coordinator. "Then, professional judges from our partners pick the best project to actually complete."
A panel of judges from Fantastic Caverns, the Watershed Center and the City of Springfield, plus members of the SPS experience, facilities and grounds departments choose a winner this year. Then, the SPS grounds department awards $1,000 to make their solution a reality.
This year's winning project entails adding native plants to help the erosion and aesthetic beauty of the hillside at Carver.
"Project-based learning is best when students see their learning become real," said Wallenmeyer. "Greener Greenspace is just one example of authentic learning experiences at SPS."