CSUMB Group capstone project
A capstone project brings together all the skills and knowledge students have gained through out their college education and allows students to apply them in their community through a professional project.
For my Environmental Studies capstone, I participated in the Projects in Environmental Education course in collaboration with the Los Arboles Middle School in Marina, CA. While at Los Arboles, we got to work alongside teachers and middle school students for our following proposed capstone projects: A weather station, a vermicompost system, a native herb garden, and a directional totem. Through these projects we hoped to establish a connection between students, their school, and nature. By letting students participate in these hands-on activities, they were able to learn about stewardship, sustainability, and built a connection to their community. Not only did students learn from us we were able to learn alongside them.
For my capstone project, I worked in the vermicompost project group because I had previous knowledge on vermicomposting and I really wanted to try building something from the ground up. I was interested in learning how to communicate with a group of students who I had little exposure to and also to learn how to work with them in an outdoor setting.
Not only did students learn from us we were able to learn alongside them. In the span of about 3 months, we worked with the middle school students to plan and implement a portable compost system that can be used for teaching purposes and a large vermicompost system that will stay in the outdoor classroom. We built the compost bins using the repurposed wood from unused garden beds and chicken wire. We taught the students about composting do's and don'ts such as what food waste can to put into the beds and how often to turn them. We also gave them a worksheet to complete over their spring break where they could write six things you can and can't put into the compost bins. One of our students went above and beyond by not only writing about food and plants but also about the nutrient that are in compost such as nitrogen. We finished our project by having the students paint the bins with pictures of worms and food waste. Students also painted two signs, one for composting do's and don'ts and one detailing how to take care of the worms so all the students on campus can know how keep up with the bins.
For my Environmental Studies capstone, I participated in the Projects in Environmental Education course in collaboration with the Los Arboles Middle School in Marina, CA. While at Los Arboles, we got to work alongside teachers and middle school students for our following proposed capstone projects: A weather station, a vermicompost system, a native herb garden, and a directional totem. Through these projects we hoped to establish a connection between students, their school, and nature. By letting students participate in these hands-on activities, they were able to learn about stewardship, sustainability, and built a connection to their community. Not only did students learn from us we were able to learn alongside them.
For my capstone project, I worked in the vermicompost project group because I had previous knowledge on vermicomposting and I really wanted to try building something from the ground up. I was interested in learning how to communicate with a group of students who I had little exposure to and also to learn how to work with them in an outdoor setting.
Not only did students learn from us we were able to learn alongside them. In the span of about 3 months, we worked with the middle school students to plan and implement a portable compost system that can be used for teaching purposes and a large vermicompost system that will stay in the outdoor classroom. We built the compost bins using the repurposed wood from unused garden beds and chicken wire. We taught the students about composting do's and don'ts such as what food waste can to put into the beds and how often to turn them. We also gave them a worksheet to complete over their spring break where they could write six things you can and can't put into the compost bins. One of our students went above and beyond by not only writing about food and plants but also about the nutrient that are in compost such as nitrogen. We finished our project by having the students paint the bins with pictures of worms and food waste. Students also painted two signs, one for composting do's and don'ts and one detailing how to take care of the worms so all the students on campus can know how keep up with the bins.
Something the was new to me in developing this capstone project was being able to learn how to be flexible to changing plans. I also got to apply my skills in problem solving and working with composting. I feel successful in the completion of my capstone because I learned how to work around having a small budget. I also learned a lot about working with students such as how even though some students don't show enthusiasm for a project, that doesn't mean they're not interested they just show interest in a different way. The most important thing I learned was that all students are different and those differences make them unique.
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