sustainable campus
Worms, community, and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals
November 23, 2023
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Through a STEAM outreach project by the Faculty of Education piloted at a local school this fall, every student at Winston Churchill Public School in Kingston is learning about and engaging with vermicomposting in various ways. (Supplied Photo)
Chris Carlton and Ian Matheson are pre-service teacher educators in the Faculty of Education who have taken on a timely challenge as part of their work at Queen카지노 게임 컬렉션s 카지노 게임 컬렉션 finding a new way to get local community elementary school children excited about sustainability. Their goal was to create a fun, hands-on, school-wide project that would also show the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) in action. And this is where the worms came in.
Vermicomposting is a natural process that uses worms to convert organic materials traditionally viewed as waste into a nutrient rich soil for plants and crops in shared land ecosystems. Soil health weaves itself through seven of the UN SDGs, in particular with SDG 11 카지노 게임 컬렉션 Sustainable Cities and Communities.
After ordering a kit from the in Ottawa, Carlton and Matheson redesigned the setup to suit their needs. They also considered how to bring in other disciplines and connected with colleagues at Smith Engineering. A micro bit sensor was coded that monitors moisture and temperature providing students with the opportunity to learn about these factors and engage with scientific data through graphing, controlled experiments, and research.
Their STEAM outreach project is being piloted at a local school this fall. Every student at Winston Churchill Public School in Kingston will learn about and engage with vermicomposting in various ways. Carlton, Matheson, and team built 15 new boxes and then took them apart for students to put back together. Students then prepared the habitat by bringing in leaves, newspaper, and cardboard for bedding before the worms were introduced. Carlton and Matheson have arranged to pick up food scraps from Queen카지노 게임 컬렉션s Hospitality Services and take them to the school to get the process started before the students take over.
Creating a sustainability cycle
Carlton and Matheson stress that students learn best through experience and keeping them engaged about how they can contribute to advancing the UN SDGs is key.
카지노 게임 컬렉션Many of us remember a five-gallon pail with worms and scraps in our elementary school classrooms meant to teach us about composting and nature, but it often began to stink and was eventually tossed,카지노 게임 컬렉션 says Carlton. 카지노 게임 컬렉션The Box of Life design and the version we use allows for better air circulation and the soil maintains its integrity so that the project can continue indefinitely as students continue learning about sustainability.카지노 게임 컬렉션
The boxes produce a significant amount of worm castings, a potent fertilizer, and the hope is that eventually students will grow vegetables using them and then the food scraps from those vegetables can go back into the box and the cycle can continue again and again.
카지노 게임 컬렉션By showing students there is something they can do right now to be sustainable, they are able to see the impact they can have,카지노 게임 컬렉션 says Carlton. 카지노 게임 컬렉션It카지노 게임 컬렉션s not just about vermicomposting, but instead about having an experiential project that demonstrates connection and relevance to global initiatives. The UN SDGs are designed to bring people together to improve life; they are the blueprint for making the world a better place and such a great platform to build a school-wide educational project.카지노 게임 컬렉션
The vermicompost project is just one of many examples of initiatives and work underway at Queen카지노 게임 컬렉션s that is aligned with advancing the UN SDGs. Part of Heather Aldersey카지노 게임 컬렉션s role as Special Advisor to the Principal on UN SDGs is to highlight these stories, raise awareness, generate connections, and inspire action.
카지노 게임 컬렉션There are so many examples of Queen카지노 게임 컬렉션s students, faculty, and staff doing such exciting and interesting work that engages with the UN SDGs and it카지노 게임 컬렉션s important to collaborate and support each other as we strive to achieve these global goals,카지노 게임 컬렉션 says Dr. Aldersey. 카지노 게임 컬렉션I want to highlight these activities and projects and then take it a step farther by showcasing accessible resources and providing real-life actions people can take if they are motivated by a particular story or goal.카지노 게임 컬렉션
Connecting young people with research
Carlton and Matheson are planning to come up with other projects that embeds UN SDGs education within it and like this one, brings in multiple subjects and opportunities for collaboration. They stress the importance of language and how vital it is to get students involved in research early on, so they begin asking their own questions and sharing their ideas.
카지노 게임 컬렉션The UN SDGs are an amazing way to connect with people who are likeminded, and we are amazed at the amount of innovation that can come from new ways of thinking and talking with young people,카지노 게임 컬렉션 says Matheson. 카지노 게임 컬렉션We brainstormed this project with 216 teacher-candidates who put together rich resources for kindergarten to grade 6 teachers to show how vermicomposting can tie in with a variety of subjects. Teachers can engage with this project to the degree they are comfortable, and we will support them however we can.카지노 게임 컬렉션
More information about UN SDG 11 카지노 게임 컬렉션 Sustainable Cities and Communities, vermicomposting, and about actions you can take are available on the UN SDGs at Queen카지노 게임 컬렉션s page on the Office of the Principal and Vice-Chancellor카지노 게임 컬렉션s website.
The UN SDGs help to channel our sense of social responsibility and many members of the Queen카지노 게임 컬렉션s community are making an impact with various projects and initiatives. The university카지노 게임 컬렉션s commitment to advancing these global goals is evident by the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings, based on the UN SDGs, where in 2023 Queen카지노 게임 컬렉션s ranked third in the world and first in North America out of more than 1,700 universities. More stories about students, faculty, and staff at Queen카지노 게임 컬렉션s who are doing this work of advancing the UN SDGs and the Queen카지노 게임 컬렉션s Strategy will be profiled on the UN SDGs at Queen카지노 게임 컬렉션s page in the coming months. To participate or share a story, .