Addressing Food Insecurity

2021, Sacramento, CA, USA

Sabrina Lee, MaiChong Lee, and Faye Lee, students at Grant High School in Sacramento, were concerned about food insecurity in their community, especially during COVID-19, quarantine, and the associated economic pressures. They wanted to help students and families start small vegetable gardens at home to help supplement and ensure access to nutritional foods. To demonstrate the process, the group planted tomatoes, zucchini, and other vegetables in their school garden, created short videos and a website to educate youth about gardening, which they shared with the 10^th grade class. They also provided many of these students with seeds to start their own gardens and asked for those students to document and share about the experience. Jesse Garcia, Marielle Magalong, and Jared Matias were among the students that received and planted seeds, thus benefitting from the food gardening education provided by their peers.

Eco-Friendly Skin Care Products

2021, Sacramento, CA, USA

Grant High School students Sabela Tekle, Ana Martinez, and Jessica Jimenez are concerned about the harmful ingredients that are added to many cosmetic and skincare products and the effect these additives could have on the environment and long- term health of consumers. They are also concerned about the plastic waste generated by the beauty product industry.

To raise awareness about these issues and provide an alternative for their peers, these students created their own natural face scrub using natural ingredients such as brown sugar for an exfoliant, and provided it in reusable/ recyclable tin jars. They used the products as giveaways in a launch/awareness event at school during which they shared information about harmful additives and plastic use in the beauty industry and alternatives. To reach those not present at school during COVID, they posted on Instagram and shared the link to a webpage that shared more info on their project and product.

Water-Wise Garden Project

2021, Sacramento, CA, USA

Malisa Cheng and Samantha Vang, students in Grant High School’s GEO Academy, know that drought in California is an ongoing issue. In an effort to reduce the amount of water used on landscaping, the students decided to focus their efforts on planting a variety of water-wise plant species that would still serve as habitat for native bees and butterflies. The students researched plants, and found that yarrow, penstemon, and salvia sp, were especially suited to the local climate and region and provide nectar sources during spring and summer. In addition to planting these species, the students also planted a few drought tolerant trees that will provide habitat, fruit, and can help sequester carbon, especially when mature.

Drought Tolerant Garden Project

2021, Sacramento, CA, USA

For their Caring for Our Watersheds project, Grant High School students Madeline Her, Cady Moua, and Alexa Martinez focused on conserving water through water-wise gardening. The team worked to identify drought tolerant plants, such as lavender, ceonothus, and blanketflower, that not only require less watering than traditional landscape plants, but also provide habitat for a variety of pollinator species. Due to COVID-19, each team member planted a small demonstration garden in her own yard that utilized these species, and, in 2 yards, removed a section of the grass area that needed frequent watering. The project allowed for the students to reduce landscape water use as well as share their new knowledge about the process with family and neighbors.

Planting for Pollinators

2021, Sacramento, CA, USA

Julia Vang, Cinthia Hernandez, Jorge Martinez, and Hansome Lee worked together to propose and plant a drought-tolerant garden that would provide excellent habitat for pollinators. Their project addressed the issue of ongoing drought in California as well as declining pollinator populations. When students came back to campus part-time, the group planted salvias, lavenders, and select roses in a new section of the garden dedicated to pollinators. These species will attract and provide nectar for bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies as well as be a beautiful addition to campus that students can be proud of.

Water Conservation with Shower Start Adapters

2021, Sacramento, CA, USA

Jazmen Figueroa, Jose Benitez, and Alexander Martin, students at Grant Union High School in Sacramento, put forth a solid proposal to reduce household water use by promoting and distributing the Shower Start adapter to local households. This adapter is designed to reduce “behavioral water waste”, the water lost during the time frame from when you start the shower to when you get in, and may save up to 2700 gallons/ year and $75 in utility bills. After the team shared the potential water savings benefits of the device, they distributed 20 adapters (and installation instructions) to teachers and/ or students at school. They plan to follow-up with recipients to track water savings and further promote through social media.

Campus Garden Project

2021, Sacramento, CA, USA

In an effort to promote water-wise landscaping while providing a biodiverse habitat for local birds, Grant High School students Alex Thao and Harmony Xiong designed a garden project which included several different drought-tolerant species that would provide nectar and food sources for species such as Anna’s hummingbird and Western Meadowlark. In addition, their design placed the garden near the outflow of a downspout off the roof, thus utilizing and slowing the flow the storm water. The original design proposed the garden in Harmony’s yard, but they were unable to build it there. While Harmony and Alex remained in distance learning, their classmates, Brianna Garcia and Alexander Martin helped find a place at school that was quite suitable and put in the plants, which included a Crape Myrtle tree, several Salvia species and bunch grasses. The students also plan to add signage to the garden to educate others on campus about the plantings and their benefits. This is a great example of students working together to accomplish a project despite the circumstances of COVID-19.

Promoting Fair Trade and Reusable Products

2021, Sacramento, CA, USA

When Grant High School students Faith Xiong, Nicholas Vang, and Tralisa Cheng started researching environmental issues and sustainability, they learned about Fair Trade certification, and that it is a way to make a conscious choice to support responsible companies, empower workers, and protect watersheds. They knew they wanted to do a project to promote the fair trade industry. They also knew they wanted to promote the use of reusable products to reduce the waste from single-use plastics, styrofoam, etc. They proposed a unique project that allowed them to do both. The students created coffee mugs for their teachers with their own original artwork and environmental messages. With the reusable mugs, they provided Fair Trade coffee and attached info cards that described the fair trade mission and benefits and encouraged recipients to support fair trade products. Their project raised awareness about Fair Trade, promoted reusable products, and expressed deep appreciation for their teachers working hard through distance learning in a pandemic.

Pollinator DIY Craft Kits

2021, Sacramento, CA, USA

Erica Siriouthay Jaephin Vue, Tayonna Smith, students at Grant High School, are concerned about the decline of pollinators. As they researched the topic, they realized that many people don’t really understand the important role pollinators play in agriculture and the ecosystem as a whole. To address these issues, the team initiated a creative project to raise awareness about pollinators, the threats they face, and how people could help. Realizing that more people were spending time at home during COVID-19 and looking for activities to do with their family during quarantine, the team decided to put together DIY craft kits. Each kit would include eco-friendly, sustainably sourced materials and instructions to make a stuffed, crocheted bee, as well as information about pollinators and a link to a webpage with more info on native bees and pollinator- friendly plants. The team also set up an Instagram where kids could post pics of their completed bees and create a “buzz” around the topic of pollinators. The kits, called “Bumbable” (combo of “Bumblebee” and “capable/ sustainable”) provide parents and children with a fun, hands- on project that introduces an important environmental issue.

Tree Planting Project

2021, Sacramento, CA, USA

Grant High School Students Wendy Mora Cervantes and Cherish Jackson proposed a Caring for Our Watersheds project that was straightforward, yet had multiple benefits. With their tree planting project, they were able to plant several different species of trees which would provide shade, help reduce the heat- island effect in urban areas, absorb CO2, and sequester carbon. As the students were not on campus for most of the year due to COVID-19, they planted these in their own yards. This will actually help ensure the trees’ survival as the students will be able to access and care for them during the first several months as they get established. Not only a source of shade and fruit, but also a source of pride as Wendy and Cherish beautify their neighborhood and make a simple, positive addition to their environment. Caring for Our Watersheds funding helped purchase the trees, soil, and basic materials for planting and staking the new trees.