Check out this Weather Channel video of Medway and Cambridge students changing the world like its their job!
Friday, May 24, 2013
Monday, April 22, 2013
Homeward Bound
The sun is not yet up, but we are! Loading the bus at 3:15am, flying at 6:30am, landing in Boston around 6pm, and back to medway by about 7:30 or so. VAMANOS!
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Teenagers sent us to the moon.
How old were you when JFK first challenged the nation to put a man on the moon?
(Don't worry, you don't have to answer out loud)
Consider this...
The average age in NASA mission control during the Apollo 11 moon landing, scientists and engineers, was 26 years old.
This means those scientists and engineers were only 18 years old on average when JFK first challenged them to go to the moon, a challenge that seemed outlandish and a pipe dream at the time. Teenagers were inspired, and they sent us to the moon 8 years later.
How will these teenagers respond to the challenges we place before them today?
(Don't worry, you don't have to answer out loud)
Consider this...
The average age in NASA mission control during the Apollo 11 moon landing, scientists and engineers, was 26 years old.
This means those scientists and engineers were only 18 years old on average when JFK first challenged them to go to the moon, a challenge that seemed outlandish and a pipe dream at the time. Teenagers were inspired, and they sent us to the moon 8 years later.
How will these teenagers respond to the challenges we place before them today?
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Failure is the key to success
"Failure is the key to success."
"Have the guts to try something new, fail, and learn from it. That's what we need, that's how we'll move forward. How do you come up with a good idea? Start with bad ideas. Even if its crap."
"Don't try to do everything. No one can. Pick a few things you're passionate about."
"You have 3 choices:
- do nothing
- do what's expected of you
- get creative, dare to fail, and help change the world."
-Dr. Eddie Hunt, CEO of EF
"Have the guts to try something new, fail, and learn from it. That's what we need, that's how we'll move forward. How do you come up with a good idea? Start with bad ideas. Even if its crap."
"Don't try to do everything. No one can. Pick a few things you're passionate about."
"You have 3 choices:
- do nothing
- do what's expected of you
- get creative, dare to fail, and help change the world."
-Dr. Eddie Hunt, CEO of EF
Goodbye Playa, Hello Conference!
Friday we said goodbye to Playa Bejuco and started our trek to San Jose. We stopped at Carara National Park and hiked through the oldest transitional forest in Central America. It started raining on the hike which was very interesting because you could hear it, but we didn't really get wet thanks to the thick canopy. It really started coming down right as we got on the bus. We have really lucked out when it comes to whether. A break in the rain and a short stop at a fruit stand recharged us for the drive to Sarchi where we had lunch and shopped for souvenirs. More rain and bus time brought us to San Jose and the beautiful Wyndham San Jose hotel.
Today begins the Global Student Leaders Conference with key note speaker Al Gore, expert led sessions, and student led sessions. Sustainability and design thinking are the themes for the weekend. How do we move forward sustainability as a society? How do we tackle these large issues? How do we effectively and efficiently innovate? How do we tackle that creative process? More tweets throughout the day! @MrJasinski
Today begins the Global Student Leaders Conference with key note speaker Al Gore, expert led sessions, and student led sessions. Sustainability and design thinking are the themes for the weekend. How do we move forward sustainability as a society? How do we tackle these large issues? How do we effectively and efficiently innovate? How do we tackle that creative process? More tweets throughout the day! @MrJasinski
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Making a Difference You Can Measure
Several pairs of wet, muddy sneakers are sitting out tonight. It's a great feeling when you can point to a day's work and say, "I did that." There are tangible, lasting results because of the work these students put in today.
The shorelines of this already skinny island near Palo Seco have already retreated about 60 feet on both sides since the mangrove trees were first cut down to improve the view 50 years ago. Now they are trying to reclaim the shoreline by replanting the mangroves before the island disappears, the ocean invades the swamp, and the biodiversity is ruined. People live on this island. Their very homes are being threatened as is the health of the environment on which they rely. This is a problem, and this is how they intend to fix it.
In the morning, we placed a countless number of mangrove seeds, called propogules, about 6-8 inches in length, into cut bottles filled with sediment. Students were cutting bottles, digging sediment, filling bottles, and placing seedlings in muddy-handed glory. After they sprout, they will be transplanted to the river bank. With their new roots, they will be less likely to be swept away by the current or tides.
After lunch, we tried another approach to mangrove reforestation that is occuring simultaneously. The seedlings, called propogules were planted in three rows protected by 2 rows of slightly larger mangrove saplings, and then by 3 rows of stakes driven into the ground to prevent debris from river currents and tides from washing away the young plants before they can take root. Students were using machetes to prepare the stakes (with supervision of course), digging the ditches, positioning the stakes, pounding the stakes, more ditches, more stakes, more pounding, planting the saplings, and placing the propogules all in swampy river bank that consumes each leg up to mid-calf. Now 20 yards of swampy Palo Seca shoreline has been re-planted with mangrove trees, protecting it from erosion and improving the biodiversity of the area. Mangroves curvy tangled roots anchor the soil, provide shelter for many animals, and serves as a nursery for fish and bird nests.
Students also conducted a plant and animal inventory, recording all the instances of different animals and flora/fauna observed in our area. This is real data used to measure the animal populations and biodiversity in the area. Each group that comes adds to the data set and it will remain on record for generations to analyze.
The most important take away is more than just proper machete technique. It is the example set by the people of this community. They identified a real threat to their land, their environment, and their future. They put a plan together to address it and took action. It's more than just a poster, it's more than a lecture, it's more than a research paper. Raising awareness is important, but you have to get your hands dirty. That is what this is all about. As we head toward the conference this weekend, we hope to develop design thinking skills in these students that will allow them to go back home and make a difference you can measure.
The shorelines of this already skinny island near Palo Seco have already retreated about 60 feet on both sides since the mangrove trees were first cut down to improve the view 50 years ago. Now they are trying to reclaim the shoreline by replanting the mangroves before the island disappears, the ocean invades the swamp, and the biodiversity is ruined. People live on this island. Their very homes are being threatened as is the health of the environment on which they rely. This is a problem, and this is how they intend to fix it.
In the morning, we placed a countless number of mangrove seeds, called propogules, about 6-8 inches in length, into cut bottles filled with sediment. Students were cutting bottles, digging sediment, filling bottles, and placing seedlings in muddy-handed glory. After they sprout, they will be transplanted to the river bank. With their new roots, they will be less likely to be swept away by the current or tides.
After lunch, we tried another approach to mangrove reforestation that is occuring simultaneously. The seedlings, called propogules were planted in three rows protected by 2 rows of slightly larger mangrove saplings, and then by 3 rows of stakes driven into the ground to prevent debris from river currents and tides from washing away the young plants before they can take root. Students were using machetes to prepare the stakes (with supervision of course), digging the ditches, positioning the stakes, pounding the stakes, more ditches, more stakes, more pounding, planting the saplings, and placing the propogules all in swampy river bank that consumes each leg up to mid-calf. Now 20 yards of swampy Palo Seca shoreline has been re-planted with mangrove trees, protecting it from erosion and improving the biodiversity of the area. Mangroves curvy tangled roots anchor the soil, provide shelter for many animals, and serves as a nursery for fish and bird nests.
Students also conducted a plant and animal inventory, recording all the instances of different animals and flora/fauna observed in our area. This is real data used to measure the animal populations and biodiversity in the area. Each group that comes adds to the data set and it will remain on record for generations to analyze.
The most important take away is more than just proper machete technique. It is the example set by the people of this community. They identified a real threat to their land, their environment, and their future. They put a plan together to address it and took action. It's more than just a poster, it's more than a lecture, it's more than a research paper. Raising awareness is important, but you have to get your hands dirty. That is what this is all about. As we head toward the conference this weekend, we hope to develop design thinking skills in these students that will allow them to go back home and make a difference you can measure.
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