After being close to giving up, we thought of a new idea: a mobile greenhouse built upon a trailer.
At the start of the 2019/2020 school year, the Earth Warriors Eco Club and I decided on a greenhouse for a project that would further our school's sustainability efforts.
When our Eco Club first thought of the idea of a greenhouse, we were imagining a permanent structure. We proposed the idea to our Head of School, Mara, but she explained that this was not attainable, as it did not align with our school's plans for the future. At our next meeting, we brainstormed ideas but still thought of nothing. For one final try, Beck, the vice president of the club, and I met at a Starbucks after school to work on a solution. After being close to giving up, we thought of a new idea: a mobile greenhouse built upon a trailer. Later that week, we pitched the new concept to Mara and she passed it, excited that we hadn’t given up on the idea of a greenhouse. A couple of days later we pitched it a second time, to the Facilities Manager and he approved it as well! We were finally on our way to a successful project.
Next, we networked to parents and experts. We sent out posts to parents and the school community, spoke at two PTA meetings, showcased the idea at our school's Film Fest, and joined with CATT (Contractors Association of Tahoe-Truckee) to find local contractors and donations for supplies. This step was a success as well, as we were overloaded with advice, experts, and volunteers.
Beck and I met with a school parent and engineer for initial ideas and one of our teachers for advice on how to get more students involved. We traveled to Mountain View Missouri in Reno, NV to gain knowledge from a school who has recently completed a similar project. The 6th graders at our school drew up greenhouse ideas for our club. After looking over these drawings and agreeing on a final design, we created a digital concept design. Finally, the greenhouse project was entering the final stages until the build, with only one last problem of funding. Remarkably, as we were tackling the issue of funding, a parent emailed with an amazing idea. She had talked with the Community Programs Coordinator at our local grocery store, Raley's, and they recommended that we apply for their Student Grant. We wrote up a detailed proposal and sent it into the Raley's Marketing Team. At the same time, the new Raley's O-N-E Market was being built next door to my school's campus. Raley's O-N-E Market advertises supporting education of organic and nutritious eating and sustainability; exactly what our greenhouse is supposed to promote. Raley's awarded us $10,000 for our greenhouse project and invited the Beck and I, as the president and vice president of the club, to the opening day ceremony of Raley's O-N-E Market to receive a giant check. Due to Covid-19, the ceremony was smaller than originally planned, but we still received the check and were inviting to a formal tour of the new grocery store. Now with the funding to do so, we are working on the build for our greenhouse. We are planning on completing it before the end of the school year so that the current seniors can enjoy it and leave this behind as a gift of gratitude and farewell to our school.
Look here to check out an article posted by my school, Tahoe Expedition Academy.