JUST SAYIN’-Thanksgiving 2014 … we do indeed have a lot for which to be thankful. This holiday reminds us that we must not primarily concentrate on gloom-and-doom scenarios but look to the good things that happen every day (even if they are not covered by the media as they should).
Some months ago I wrote about the Environmental Charter Middle School (ECMS) in Inglewood. Today I address some of the recent events that have transpired at both the charter in Inglewood and at the one in Gardena.
Supporting the ECMS vision “to make our schools healthier, more sustainable places to learn,” on November 1 (Green Apple Day) more than 250 volunteers (including local electeds) converged on the Inglewood campus to erect a state-of-the-art playground. The students now can use a jungle gym, rock-climbing wall, a slide, shade terraces, and more. The students demonstrated their artistic talents by creating a wooden canvas art project which will add to the beauty and aesthetic nature of the campus. There was even a group dance to commemorate the grand opening of the park.
This Green Apple Day of Service is intended for parents, teachers, students, companies, and local organizations to share project ideas and help with resources. It hopes to create a model for how “to transform all schools into healthy, safe, and productive learning environments.” They look forward to subsequent Green Days in February and March of next year.
In addition, the Smile Generation brought in a mobile dental clinic which treated 25 patients every hour throughout the day. Teeth cleanings, extractions, root canals, and crown restorations (generally too costly and out of reach for the average uninsured person) were part of what was available. Unfortunately, we have all heard horror stories of people who have become violently ill or even died from untreated dental health conditions. Thus, what a wonderful gift that was offered that day to those who took advantage of the free procedures!
The following week was Career Day at ECMS—Inglewood. Students were introduced to a broad variety of professionals who shared possibilities with them and spoke of the rewards from taking risks to improve and nurture the exciting potential for one’s future. Too many young people are already convinced that a better future is not in their stars. It is for that reason that this Career Day was originally established and continues eight years later to convince young people that there is an alternative path they can take, that they can be responsible for their own futures if they are willing to make the right choices.
There were workshops on interview skills (Sylmar High School has a wonderful program designed to help seniors learn how to interview)and on writing résumés for college applications and/or for future occupations. There were also groups covering such subjects as financial literacy (for goodness sake, haven’t we all heard of how many young people are already drowning in credit card debt before they even get out of school?!).
Many of these students become so inspired by the possibilities out there that some are already working with the homeless on Skid Row to help provide medical care for them; some are working on immigration issues; others have developed their own innovative, creative projects with the object of ameliorating some of the dire conditions that they recognize in their own and other communities.
To help make all these goals become a reality, the Green Ambassadors Institute works closely with these environmental charter schools. One aspect of this organization is to instruct teachers and other educators in how “to infuse innovative approaches to project-based environmental, interdisciplinary, and service-based learning.”
The City of Gardena has also provided a location for a similar Green Environmental Charter School. That institution wants to “transform [its] campus into an environmental oasis.” It is amazing what has already been accomplished there in providing environmental literacy and inspiration for students and parents as well as for the community at large.
You might want to place on your calendar the December 6, 2014, Gardena ECS program from
8 a.m. to noon which will highlight the vision, goals, and successes of the program.
You may even want to Google these schools to find out what you can do to get involved or discover how you can bring such programs to your own local schools.
Just sayin’.
(Rosemary Jenkins is a Democratic activist and chair of the Northeast Valley Green Alliance. Jenkins has written A Quick-and=Easy Reference to Correct Grammar and Composition, Leticia in Her Wedding Dress and Other Poems, and Vignettes for Understanding Literary and Related Concepts. She also writes for CityWatch.)
-cw
CityWatch
Vol 12 Issue 96
Pub: Nov 28, 2014