What problem did your team solve/address?
Our team wanted to work on building morale. It seems like we haven't returned to normal since virtual learning. There is a lot of stress on teachers and sometimes unrealistic expectations on students. We wanted to make people smile and make them happy to be at school.
We wanted to make students happy too. We knew many students wanted to bring lunch but had no way of warming up their food. We decided to donate microwaves to the cafeteria. We collaborated with NJHS, Student Council, and Up to maintain the microwaves. We created a weekly schedule where each organization took turns cleaning the microwaves.
What research did you do to find out what has come before or already exists?
We knew there were certain committees on campus that we could partner with since they had the same idea in mind. We reached out to the Sunshine Committee which is a group of teachers. We also reached out to the Student Council, CLUB Up, NJHS, and the athletics department to see if there was anything we could collaborate on.
How did you identify the problem that you wanted to solve?
There are certain times in the year when the months seem long, the work keeps coming, and there are no breaks. We wanted to surprise staff when they felt the most tired. When the months were long it seemed like it would never end. To see the excitement and smiles on everyone's faces was uplifting.