Sustainability & Ecology Education: 2022 In Review
At the Civic Garden Center (CGC), sustainability is more than just a buzzword. CGC staff, volunteers and visitors are united in their quest to combat the climate crisis by living intentionally, learning collaboratively and working cooperatively. Our Sustainability & Ecology Education program is a key component of this commitment.
Sustainability and ecology are broad overarching concepts. To successfully communicate the vast amount of information around these concepts, the CGC has created several program areas specifically designed to engage a wide range of ages, experience levels and interests. These include our Compost Pro series, presentations on sustainable practices, Green Learning Station tours & field studies for middle and high school students and the Green Teens Challenge.
Compost Pro
In October of 2022, we launched a rebranded, revised curriculum for our Compost Pro series (formerly Master Composter). The four-part series is open to anyone wanting to advance their composting skills and knowledge, and the goal of the program is to build a composting knowledge base in the Cincinnati region. Our new version of the course was met with enthusiasm by our seven dedicated participants.
“I liked the overall goal of reducing what we send to the landfill. Learning about multiple composting techniques including vermiculture and bokashi was very helpful and interesting. Also, the history of composting in Cincinnati was fascinating.”
Sustainable Practice Presentations
We made 12 presentations to groups such as KAO, Cincinnati State and several garden clubs in 2022, for a total of 508 participants. These presentations focused on trees, botany, composting and identifying the problem with single use plastics.
Green Learning Station Tours & Field Studies
We held four tours and 19 field studies based around our Green Learning Station in 2022, reaching 581 students and teachers. Thirteen schools attended field studies, five of which pilot-tested a new field study curriculum: From Dead Ends to Donuts, which guides students to explore the need in our society for sustainable cycles.
The Green Teens Challenge
We presented 26 rebranded school-based programming lessons and activities to 287 middle and high school students and teachers. These lessons provide opportunities for adolescents to apply their environmental expertise to current issues facing our community, such as the climate crisis, food access, renewable energy and policy making.
Looking Ahead
2023 will usher in a new launch for school-based programming through the Green Teens Challenge which is being debuted in eight local high schools. As students engage in monthly challenges, their feedback and hard work will be recognized and used to enhance the program. By the fall of 2023, our goal is to involve fifteen different schools in the Cincinnati region, engage ten community partners and raise awareness for green initiatives started by youth.
Another component of our growing Green Teens program are Green Teens Internships. These interns will come to the CGC during the school day, where they’ll work alongside CGC staff as they develop technical and soft skills. By exposing students to work-based learning, these internships will add to the number of skilled candidates who choose careers in urban agriculture and environmental sustainability.
Finally, in 2023, the Green Learning Station will get a fresh coat of paint and new demonstration areas to teach visitors about vermicompost, bokashi, hydroponics, vertical farming and seed starting. The existing green roof gardens will benefit from the addition of compost in the form of rabbit manure and vermicompost tea.