Who Are We?
The CAPA-MC Growing & Giving Club is an organization composed of middle and high school students across Montgomery County who are passionate about gardening and making the environment a better place. Through planting crops, donating produce, and promoting eco-friendly practices, the club strives to make the world a greener place.
Experts & Partners
Dr. Jingfeng Huang (Environmental Scientist)
Dr. Xingyuan Chen (Earth Scientist)
D'Anna Jensen (Biologist)
Dr. Hongbin Yu (Atmospheric Scientist)
Dr. Mirele B. Goldsmith
Biographical Statement:
Dr. Mirele B. Goldsmith brings a unique combination of knowledge about environmental sustainability, evaluation skills, and consulting experience to her clients. With over 20 years of experience as a program evaluator, Mirele knows how to help organizations define their goals, measure progress, and improve their effectiveness, within real-world time and resource limitations.
Prior to establishing her independent practice as a program evaluator, Mirele designed and launched an acclaimed accreditation program for the national association of Hillel that contributed to doubling of the budget from $7.5 to $15 million. Mirele taught Program Evaluation for New York University’s Heyman Center for Philanthropy and Fundraising and currently teaches at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for High Impact Philanthropy.
As Director of the Jewish Greening Fellowship, Mirele led a network of 55 community-based organizations committed to responding to climate change through implementation of sustainable operations, energy efficiency measures, and educational initiatives. This program resulted in 46 energy audits, projected savings of $8.3 million over 10 years, $3.6 million in donations, installation of 13 solar energy systems, 600 participants in green teams, and 33,000 participants in environmental education programs.
Mirele completed her Ph.D. in Environmental Psychology at the City University of New York Graduate Center. Her research explored grassroots citizen participation in environmental decision-making about the New York City water system.
