Design for Change Al-Falah
- 1. Design for Change 2011 Clean and Green Project 9th Class Boys Al-Falah High School Lalapet, Hyderabad Mentor Teacher: Catherine Appleton
- 2. Feel • To start our project, the students were asked, “What is something in your community, or in general, that bothers you, makes you upset, or sad?” • They had many answers such as: – Poverty – Traffic – Sound and air pollution – Over population – Child labor – No proper road and electricity in the villages – Open drainage systems • After discussing these topics in their smaller groups, we tried to focus on specific topics within these larger categories which were directly related to the students’ community.
- 3. Imagine • The students imagined many different ways to combat all of these problems. • They talked out their ideas in groups, as well as writing down all the ways they could tackle these very important problems. • In the end, they decided they wanted to work on air pollution and making their •They then had to imagine how to do this. community cleaner by Where would we get the funding for the planting trees at a nearby plants and trees and the tools to do the hospital, as well as on the planting? school grounds.
- 4. Imagine • By talking with their teachers, the students found a teacher who was willing to donate four trees which had just started to grow near her home. • Also, the students collected money from each class, 6th -10th, in order to fund the purchasing of the plants that would be planted on the school grounds for each class. This way, students would be more invested in taking care of their class plant since they invested their money into the plant.
- 5. Do • Then we starting the “Do”ing. Our first stop was at the nearby hospital. • The students planted a total of four trees at the hospital, as well as cleaned up some of the shrubbery. • They worked extremely hard digging up the soil, planting the trees, and cleaning the grounds.
- 6. Do Our next stop was back at school. We purchased enough plants so that each 6th – 10th class could plant their own plant. Each class had a turn to come on stage and plant their plant, along with their homeroom teacher.
- 7. • The 9th class boys were able to share their project with all students in 6th -10th grades. Share • All the students in 6th – 10th grade are now responsible for taking care of their class plant, as well as deciding where to plant it once it grows out of it’s pot. • The principal and office staff also participated in the planting and were very eager to continue the clean and green project in the future. • We will also be sharing the story of our project with the 1st- 5th classes at the school in order for all students to understand that they can be the change.