What We Do

2018-2019 YES! Team:

• Upcycling Projects - Completed over 25 projects for donations at Community Green Day!
• Fall Harvest and Meals - made 10 different recipes using Fall Harvest from our gardens
• Vertical Gardens - designed and built 15 vertical gardens from recycled materials
• Sprouts and Microgreens - "Seed to Table in 7 Days" - grew and prepared sprouts and microgreens focusing on nutrition and indoor produce
• Tap Water Quality Testing: Testing 5 taps at school with testing kits and then designed DIY filters to measure the difference in water quality from tap to filter.
• MN Edible Plants PPT: Students created a PPT with 143 slides looking at edible and functional plants of Minnesota. This PPT was used to create our Agriscapes.
• Agriscapes: Students designed 3 Agriscapes that will be placed at Compass Learning Center, Farmhouse Market Co-op In New Prague, and Ney Nature Center.
• Hydroponics: Students created an 80 plant hydroponic system in classroom to grow Community Green Day plants.
• Container Gardens: To encourage growing food anywhere 15 "Themed Container Gardens" were planted to be sold at Community Green Day as a fundraiser.
• Tomato Plants: Student planted over 40 tomato plants in January that will be sold at Community Green Day.
• Energy Audit: Students completed an Energy Audit of the School to include a PPT with all the findings.
• Soil Amendment: Students prepped 3 Agriscapes by placing organic matter in layers to build soil for spring planting. This included leaves, cardboard, newspaper, compost, soil, and coffee grounds.
• High School Green Team: Partner with High School Green Team, which is a club that meets once a month. We plan Community Green together and share resources and funding to execute projects.
• Community Green Day: In May we host a Community Green Day in which we have stations highlighting student projects as well as education. This year our focus is on pollinators and natural insecticide plants. We host the event at the Farmhouse Coop in New Prague and have community vendors such as Soil and Water Conservation, local bee producers, nutritionist from Mayo, and organic farmers.
• Bee Hotels: As a part of the math/science Spring curriculum, students designed and build over 20 "Bee Hotels" to help the pollinators. Hotels are places at the Compass Learning Center and will be available for donations at Community Green Day.
• Maple Tree Survey: As a part of the math/science Spring curriculum, students learned about trees and the math needed to measure tree height and circumference as well as how to collect data and produce data using google sheets. Students wills urvery the 80 Maple Trees at NNC as well as record the trees using GPS. This data will be given to NNC so they can manage and track their tree growth and syrup production.
• Ney Nature Center Volunteering: Students volunteer over 100 hours at NNC in the Fall and Spring. Students do service learning as well as adding to their Playscapes designs, prepping the Agriscape Space, Maple Tree Survey, and maintenance of the Orienteering Course.
• Cedar Brook Nursery Volunteering: Students volunteer over 50 hours at local nursery in Spring. Helping out with preparation for spring/summer sales. Intent is for students to build community and learn about how nurseries work.
• Orienteering Course - NNC: Students placed an orienteering course at the Ney Nature Center in 2017 through a grant. We are running the course to update the markers and map for continued community and programming use at the center.

Goal Setting & Teamwork

Everything we do requires all of our students. Some days we have 15 students here and some days we have 30. We try to incorporate all of our projects into the curriculum. Language Arts worked the website and photos this year. Students were able to get Art credit for Upcycling and December Holiday Crafts. In the Spring, we combined the Math and Science curriculum to include Environmental Sustainability and Math. completing Bee Hotels, Maple Tree Survey at Ney Nature Center, and updating our Orienteering Course at the Ney Nature Center. All staff helps out with watering of plants, searching for materials and support of creating projects and Grants.

We also work closely with the High School Green Team in planning and working Community Green Day as well as sharing resources and grant funding.

Community Engagement - Partners

New Prague School District – Food and Building Services

New Prague High School

Farmhouse Market

New Prague American Legion

Cedar Brook Nursery

McGuire Landscaping

U of M Extension – SHIP

YES! McKnight Foundation

Scott County Environmental Services