With the school year back in full swing, we are ready to move the bus over to the Tech School where the students are ready to put all of the pieces together. With each step of progress the bus becomes one step closer to becoming a lean, CLEAN, driving machine! Once the project has been completed, we have the vision of turning the bus into a mobile classroom that will allow schools to overcome the financial issues of getting their students out of the classroom and into the outdoors.
ReFueling a Cecil Community and Culture
Submitted by josh.bennett on Mon, 11/17/2008 - 13:08
the problem:
I have a vision of the severely marginalized students and teachers in Cecil County, Maryland at the Providence School getting a real hands-on, environmental and engineering project. I want the project to put job experience and class skills into the concept of making sustainable choices for the environment and their local community by how we drive vehicles and use resources.
Students at the alternative school due to learning or disciplinary issues are those I want involved. The momentum of helping this small school in turn is creating a lot of stir among local high school science classes. Several honors chemistry and physics classes want to help the CAP students make this WVO bus a success and a huge learning opportunity.
vital stats:
people impacted:
0people involved:
15why it's important:
My idea is to give the students of the Providence School access to learning in and about environmentally sustainable solutions in transportation and wasted resources. Then I can make it accessible to students in all of Cecil County, just by driving up to their front doors! We cannot watch any media any more without a message about clean coal, hybrid cars, “green” products, or electricity waste. Those same ads are of companies fighting hard for students who know science, math, and technology. Why not give the same optimistic, solutions-oriented projects to students for research, play, and train?
A key part of this vision is my passion for the environment! Every day, millions of cars are driving throughout America. The United States imports more than 60% of its petroleum, two-thirds of which is used to fuel vehicles in the form of gasoline and diesel. The demand for petroleum imports is increasing. With much of the worldwide petroleum reserves located in politically volatile countries, the United States is vulnerable to supply disruptions. Our national security and the Cecil County culture of farm families would really benefit by connecting our own job needs to our available resources.
Using biodiesel also reduces greenhouse gas emissions because carbon dioxide released from biodiesel combustion is offset by the carbon dioxide sequestered while growing the soybeans or other feedstock. Using B20 reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 15%. In addition, using the kitchen grease from our local restaurants will save the cost of disposal as well as make a waste product the main useful fuel for the bus!
the plan of action:
NorthBay is just such a place that is eager to address the same issues as I do! NorthBay connects environmental issues with the social challenges facing adolescents today, (teen pregnancy, drug use, dropping out of school, etc) empowering them to believe that education and personal growth are the keys to successful futures. To reach the audience, I will need to have the bus at the Providence School and put the tools and materials in their hands. To address the environmental and economic problems and concurrently give clear jobs skills to troubled students, we need to have the bus work properly in all weather, in all waste oils, and in all schools. Together, this safe atmosphere can empower students and professionals to ask new questions, engage in newly advanced subjects, and have first hand experience with methods to integrate these lessons in their own schools.
how you can get involved:
n/aproject updates:
09/24/2009
09/24/2009
04/08/2009
27 local highschool students out working on the bus. It was a cold but productive day! With warmer weather just around the corner, we're anxious to get this baby out of the parking lot and out on the road!
Comments
I am really glad to see this project moving! Local teachers have continued to request involvement and now we have a set appointment for Jan 9th as the first educational issue analysis. We are stuck waiting for supplies, since we do not have all the funding for the project yet. Can anyone help?
We had 27 students from a local high school come out to work on the bus last week! The local paper was there to document the progress and community involvement...check it out! http://www.cecilwhig.com/articles/2009/01/13/news/doc496c05319110a480954...
It was great to see things moving forward!
I love how you used the Do Something grant! Do you have any videos of your project? It would be great to add them so we could see how the bus works!
There is a video in the works...stay tuned! Thanks for commenting!