Park East Green Team of Engineers

The Park East Green Team of Engineers are a group of ambitious high school students (and science teachers) who would love to change a dilapidated courtyard into a functional urban oasis. Since the 2012-2013 school year the Green Team focus has been on sustainability, environmental education and advocacy. Students collaborate on various projects throughout the year and range from 9th to 12th grade. Building off of the momentum of a successful school wide recycling program, the Green Team of Engineers are confident that they can increase the amount of green space within their school walls.

We would like to redesign the courtyard into a garden laboratory. The first step is for the students to conduct a Schools Grounds Audit with the assistance of the facility manager and custodial staff. The next steps will be to create a planting plan, which includes identifying native species and organisms within the soil and surrounding area for future study. Next, the Green Team of Engineers will rally their peers to participate in a "soil clearing" community service day. Like the recycling campaign, the Green Team will conduct surveys and contests to ensure that the project is a school-wide initiative. Once it’s warm enough to plant, the Green Team will purchase materials from a local nursery to support the community. Lastly the Green Team will establish procedures to monitor and maintain the schoolyard habitat and garden laboratory.

Park East High School is located in the heart of East Harlem/ El Barrio. In the past 10 years, the neighborhood has gone through a revitalization of open space and community gardens. Studies have been conducted to examine how open space and environmental factors impact the health of children. A large population of Park East students lives in the neighborhood and would greatly benefit from participating in an ecological project. According to the National Wildlife Federation, establishing a schoolyard habitat provides many academic benefits, such as improved math literacy, improved critical thinking skills, developed Ecological literacy and a sense of community through collaboration. The educational rewards of inquiry based learning and the analysis required to problem solve are aligned with the necessary skills young people will need to achieve their post-secondary goals.

The project has attracted high-performing students and students who are at risk of failing. This is a great opportunity for students to collaborate in a non-competitive environment where the criteria to join is enthusiasm and willingness to collaborate. Overall, the project develops a student’s mutual respect for his/her peers and a sense of responsibility for the natural world around them.