Wednesday, September 25, 2013

EARTH Informational Meeting

We are having a  EARTH (Education and Resiliency Through Horticulture) recruitment meeting on Wednesday – October 2nd at 5pm in Rm. 110 Hort Hall.  We will show a brief presentation about the EARTH program, enjoy a few snacks, and answer any questions students might have at that time. 

Could you please notify your students about the upcoming recruitment meeting.  Please find attached the EARTH program brochure. If you have any questions, feel free to email me.

Background about EARTH: 
Since 2010 Iowa State University (ISU) has partnered with Gifft Hill School (GHS) on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands to provide a school gardening/service-learning program known as the EARTH Program (Education and Resiliency Through Horticulture).  The goals of the program are to:
o   Design, install and manage attractive landscapes at the school that relate to sustainable food production and landscape design
o   Establish an integrated hands-on curriculum that includes horticulture and place-based environmental science
o   Provide healthy, locally grown food to the GHS community
o   Provide usable outdoor space for students to learn and work
o   Create a positive perception of horticulture with GHS students
o   Integrated ISU and GHS students in classroom and elective activities

Each semester fall, spring, and summer students from ISU spend 8-12 weeks on St. John as service learning students.  They have the opportunity to integrate and apply everything they have learned while at ISU to teach horticulture, environmental science, and health and nutrition classes to K-12 youth.  Students also build facilities that will benefit the school for years to come, work with local experts to learn more about tropical horticulture and plant ecology, and assist with community development projects on the island.

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