fall 2016 presentation · fall 2016 presentation 1 | ymca of metro chicago . green creation crew...

Green Creation Crew Fall 2016 Presentation

1 | YMCA OF METRO CHICAGO

Green Creation Crew

Ecological Design for Healthy Communities


•1st youth program at Metro-Chicago YMCA

•Paid apprenticeship thru After School Matters

•Collaborations with other YMCAs & UIC

•Project-based experiential education

•Introduction to sustainability job field

Sustainability – The Capacity to Endure

Meeting the needs of the present without compromising future generations


We live in a finite world with finite resources.

‘Triple-E’ of Sustainability:

Ecology

Economy

Equality

Renewable Energy Naturally occurring energy

sources that are self-regenerating and do not pollute the

environment.

Slide 4

Sustainable Agriculture Food production that protects the environment and fosters

healthy communities.

Program Disciplines: Energy & Agriculture

STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Math

Ecological Experiments


TEAM BUILDING


Activities

● Trust Walk ● Can Stack ● Blind Maze ● Work Projects

Purpose

● Communication ● Cooperation ● Leadership ● Respect ● Trust

Environmental Justice: The right of ALL

people to be protected from environmental pollution and have EQUAL representation in decision making.

Victory! Community advocacy groups shut down Fisk & Crawford coal plants in 2012


GCC at Environmental Justice

Dialogue hosted by UIC’s Latino

Cultural Center Cicero & Division

Mentoring Sessions on Community Issues


UIC’s Sustainability Study Group Community Organizers from UIC’s Urban Planning Professionals

Uganda & Switzerland

Community Issues: Seeking Sustainable Solutions


Causes & Effects of Violence


Community Issues: Seeking Sustainable Solutions


Rauner YMCA Work Project

The need:

• The Foodies Programs at Rauner YMCA needed fresh herbs for their kitchen

Our plan:

• We interviewed them to see how we could help and the space they had available.

Future Goals:

• We hope the Foodies will continue to use the Grow Tower for fresh herbs while saving money.

What we did:

• We built a grow-tower to provide herbs for the Foodies program at Rauner YMCA.

How we got it done:

• Used a food-grade pallet to create 9 shelves for growing herbs. Full-spectrum light on timer allowed it to be placed inside kitchen without need for sunlight. Painted trim for color.

What did we learn:

• We learned how to create something out of trash to grow fresh food - true sustainability!

• We learned how to plant seeds and about types of herbs.

Planting, Recycling & Seed Saving What did we do: • We saved seed for spring plantings • Started a recycling program for GCC • Built planters out of old pallets • Planted heirloom garlic for next GCC

How we got it done: • Teamwork • Learned new skills • Stuck to our goals • Patience • Perseverance

What was the need: • To help next GCC group • To help our community/planet • To save money • Reduce litter • Promote Environmental Justice

Our plan: • Build more recycling • Spread the word • Set good example for others

What did we learn: • How to make something old to something

new (repurposed)

• Planting correctly / efficiently

• How Important it is to recycle to help reduce the speed of climate change

• How to spread our knowledge with other people that might not know how we can help protect the Earth

15 | YMCA OF METRO

CHICAGO

• Clean up our environment • Protect water, air, land, nature

• Put the breaks on global

warming!

• Educate others about sustainability

• Create positive community

spaces for us to GROW healthy

Our Goals for the Future....

Add pic of trash time line

Why Recycle?


Why Recycle? .....Y Recycles!


Thank You!

fall 2016 presentation · fall 2016 presentation 1 | ymca of metro chicago . green creation crew...

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