Foundation for Madison s Public Schools 2010 Grant Application Cover Sheet

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Foundation for Madison s Public Schools 2010 Grant Application Cover Sheet Project Title Design & Construction of an Environmentally Sustainable Green House Project Leader (must be certified staff or

1 Foundation for Madison s Public Schools 2010 Grant Application Cover Sheet Project Title Design & Construction of an Environmentally Sustainable Green House Project Leader (must be certified staff or administrator) David Ropa Project Leader s Title 7 th Grade Science Teacher School/Department Spring Harbor Environmental Magnet Middle School Telephone: Daytime Evening dropa@madison.k12.wi.us Check One: Staff Innovation Grant (Up to $3,000) TOTAL AMOUNT Student Action Grant (Up to $3,000) REQUESTED: $8,650 X Collaborative Grant (up to $10,000) Have you previously received funding from the Foundation for Madison s Public Schools for this project? YES _X NO If yes, how is the proposed project different from the previously funded project? Has this project previously received support from the District or school operating budget? (Please see item # 3 on the Things to Remember page at the end of this application packet before answering this question.) YES NO Project Summary (please limit to 50 words, including the names of the schools involved in your project and any outside partners with a significant role in the project) Spring Harbor Middle School hopes to design and construct an environmentally sustainable green house on school property. The green house would be fully incorporated into the school s environmental mission and be used to grow native plants that would be used in restoration projects throughout Dane County. Signatures. Note to Principal/Supervisor: By signing below, you are indicating your comfort with the project described in this application, including its consistency with Board of Education and district policies. David Ropa Gail Anderson Name Title Signature 7 th Grade Science Teacher Spring Harbor Spring Harbor Principal Katie Sinkewicz Spring Harbor Art Teacher Mary Ploeser 6 th Grade Science & Math Teacher Mary Goonan Jane Morgan Spring Harbor 8 th Grade Cross Categorical Teacher Spring Harbor PBS Coach/Speech & Language Clinician 1

2 1. Innovative and Creative Features Our goal is to build a greenhouse from locally harvested, recycled, and non-toxic materials. It will have a stone foundation, cob, straw bale and reclaimed tire walls, and reclaimed timber from old barns. This aesthetically pleasing, low-tech building will be functional, durable and eco-friendly. The building techniques will instill a commitment to simplicity. We hope this project further encourages this type of building design in schools and communities in Dane County. This project is entirely unique and unlike anything currently being done at the District or Statewide level. Through the design, construction and operation of a green house at Spring Harbor Middle School, the students could potentially enable the restoration of dozens, if not hundreds, of new gardens, prairies and forests in Dane County. Taking the Foundation for Madison Public Schools promotional phrase literally, Spring Harbor is looking to plant seeds and native plants to support restoration efforts wherever possible. The major cost associated with restoration work is the price of seed and native plants. The seeds used in prairie restoration projects can easily exceed tens of thousands of dollars in donated man-hours and purchased seed. When seedlings are used, the costs easily exceed several dollars per plant. Low-cost or free plants and seeds would make restoration projects in the District be far more feasible. Spring Harbor Environmental Magnet Middle School has experienced success by offering its students numerous opportunities to conduct service learning throughout Dane County. Students have designed, built and contributed to the following projects since the school s inception: Construction of an on-site prairie (1999) Baseline monitoring of Madison Friends Prairie restoration (2001) Seeding and maintenance of Friends prairie (2002-present) Construction of two on-site rain gardens to control run-off into Lake Mendota (2004) Design and construction of a native butterfly garden (2005) Harvest, germination and planting of native Wild Rice for Lake Mendota shoreline restoration project (2006) Development of restoration plan for Spring Harbor Park (2009) Because of our school s strong tradition of assisting in environmental restoration projects, it receives numerous requests for advice, service, seeds and plants. Our school has collected and donated seeds and plants to be used in restoration projects locally on numerous occasions. The green house would be built using an entirely sustainable design. Using donated, reclaimed and recycled materials, the school hopes to construct a green house that would have negligible net energy consumption. 2. Purpose, Rationale, Need, Target Population, and Impact A. What will this project address? Explain the significance of the needs. All Spring Harbor students would participate in the construction, maintenance and operation of the green house. Through the construction of the green house, the school would be able to do the following: Offer all students a new Unified Arts and science course in the spring and fall quarters that teaches agronomy, gardening, restoration, botany, food science and biology. Provides a mechanism for making restoration projects more financially feasible by raising native plant species in large quantities that can be sold or donated to area gardeners. Provide real-life learning experience to students who need greater access to outdoor learning. The green house will also extend the school s environmental educational learning window. Given the current school year window, most of the prime growing conditions occur during the summer and are not available to students. Ostensibly, the green house will enable students 2

3 to study the outdoors for an additional 3-4 months that they couldn t normally do given the Wisconsin climate. B. Who is the project intended to benefit? The green house is intended to serve three target groups. The first group the green house will serve are the students of Spring Harbor Middle School. All 270 students will have a chance to work in the green house, conduct research, and grow native plants. The green house will expand our school s learning space (currently one of the lowest in square footage per student in the District) in a manner that enhances our environmental mission. The green house will also improve our school s relationship with public and private organizations in Madison and provide others with an opportunity to lend expertise and resources in a non-traditional manner. There are dozens of companies and research institutions in the Madison area that may not be able to support the school financially, but have expressed a willingness to lend support in academic research and similar projects. The third target group the green house would benefit are organizations in Dane County that are committed to improving the environment through the growth and cultivation of native plants. From the UW Arboretum native plant sale to the Spring Harbor Neighborhood Gardening Association, this project would enable us to help those groups obtain the plants they need. C. Estimated number of students, staff, and/or families who will benefit from the project? Not only will the green house enhance the learning opportunities for all 270 students at Spring Harbor, the green house will, ultimately, provide support to all organizations involved in prairie and forest restoration. The green house will be able to grow several thousand plants per year. The green house will specifically select plants that are hard to obtain, in high demand and native to Wisconsin. For example, students at Spring Harbor have conducted restoration activities at the Madison School Forest, the Friends Prairie, the McKenzie Nature Center and Black Earth Creek. Conservatively, a combined 6,000 individuals visit those sites each year. The work of the Spring Harbor students, therefore, enhances the environment and enjoyment of people visiting those sites each year. The plants grown in our green house would allow us to improve more sites in a more significant manner for decades. D. Explain the intended impact on student success by clearly stating the project s goals and objectives. The objectives should be measurable and focus on intended outcomes. Goals Design and construction of sustainable green house Design and initiation of green house course and curriculum for Spring Harbor students. Increase in understanding of Wisconsin science standards related to botany, biology, agronomy, food and environmental science. Provide low-cost or donated seeds and native plants to organizations in Dane County. Objectives Construction should be initiated during the fall of 2010 and project should be completed prior to Winter to enable first classes in Spring term All 270 students would be given opportunity to take part in gardening course during first year of implementation. Course would include a pre- and post-test to assess impact of students working in the green house as it relates to their understanding of relevant standards. Identify multiple opportunities for donating seeds and plants to restoration projects in the County. 3

3. Project Plan Activity Description Start Date End Date Lead Design and Construction Initiate construction of green house based on sustainable design. Fall 2010 Dec. 2010 D. Ropa/K.

4 3. Project Plan Activity Description Start Date End Date Lead Design and Construction Initiate construction of green house based on sustainable design. Fall 2010 Dec D. Ropa/K. Sinkowitz Course design Curriculum Restoration projects Purchase seeds, plants, supplies and tools to begin course in spring quarter. Design activities for quarterlong course that could be offered in first and fourth quarters of school year. Identify potential restoration and gardening projects in community to which Spring Harbor could provide seeds and plants. 1/2011 3/2011 D. Ropa 10/2010 1/2010 D. Ropa and J. Morgan 4/2011 6/2011 D. Ropa and D. Spitzer Green House Design Heat & Light Almost all the sunlight will enter through the south-facing roof. When the light is absorbed and emitted as heat, the heat is trapped in the greenhouse. At our latitude, a south roof at 45 degrees will collect the most sunlight, and therefore provide the warmest conditions. Seedlings and starter plants arranged inside the greenhouse will benefit from the constant warm temperature. The cob, tire and straw bale walls absorb heat by day and emit it by night, and provide insulation, so the temperature in the greenhouse will remain relatively constant. Foundation We will dig a rubble trench foundation, two feet below ground level and lay a foundation that extends 2-3 feet above ground level. This style was popularized by Frank Lloyd Wright to reduce concrete use and improve drainage. The foundation will consist of stone, re-used brick and flagstone floor is about 8 inches below ground level. The foundation will be about 20 feet by 25 feet. Proposed Design Posts and Roof We will use reclaimed timbers as support posts roof beams. The roof will run north-south and will hold recycled glass panels to allow sunlight to enter. The south roof will start at foundation level and climb at about 45 degrees to a height of 11 feet, then gently slope past the north wall. Cob/Straw bale Wall Straw bales and old tires will be stacked like bricks to a height of 8 feet on the north wall. Cob will be sculpted to form the east and west walls. The ingredients for a cob structure can be found locally, anywhere. There is no need to chop down and transport trees, line walls with plastic and mesh, spray for bugs, and so on. Cob homes take little energy to heat and are non-toxic. 4

5 B. Barriers to project implementation? All construction projects need city approval. Although the grant writers have sought consultation from Doug Pearson, head of Building Services, we still need to obtain the proper permits from the City of Madison. Additionally, we plan on our ability to obtain a great deal of reclaimed, recycled and donated building materials for this project. Although we are confident these materials are obtainable at low- or no-cost, we still have to gain final approval from several other organizations. Some funding has already been obtained and we do not foresee obstacles to other donations. C. Lower level than request? The construction of a green house has been the goal of these grant writers for a long-time, and given the amount of good will, preliminary funding and outside support, we are confident that we will have some sort of structure in place by the end of the year. Although we could build a very low-cost, temporary structure, we felt if we implemented a sustainable design, we would be able to achieve much higher support and success. 4. Evaluation Plan Objectives Measures Student Impact Green House Construction Completed green house using sustainable methods. Monitor electric and water use in building. Total should be of minimal cost (<1%). Students will take part in the hauling and preparing of green house, including mixing cob and laying tires. Students will be introduced to sustainable, eco-friendly design concepts. Gardening program Increase in understanding of science, agriculture, biology, food science and environmental science standards. Restoration projects First year should product approximately 1,000 plants for either low-cost sale or donation to community. Course would include a pre- and posttest to assess impact of students working in the green house as it relates to their understanding of relevant standards. Seeds and plants would be used in one or more restoration projects either locally or in Dane County. Students will choose, plant, maintain and study native plants and identify areas for donation and replanting. Students would demonstrate proficient or advanced level on relevant standards. First year plants would be used in forest, prairie or rain garden projects. 5. Sustainability and Replicability A. Once the green house is built, we will have a dedicated course, taught in the first and fourth quarters of the school year, that will insure that the facility is used on daily basis. There is already time in our schedule for leading and covering this time slot. There is no new allocation that is required to lead the course and implement the curriculum. It will only enhance our school s offerings, at no extra allocation cost. B. What is the potential for replicating this project elsewhere in the Madison Metropolitan School District Although the cost to build a green house at other schools creates both a financial and academic challenges, the concept of using sustainable design methods and conducting service-learning through 5

6 restoration are certainly valuable philosophies that could infiltrate our District. Students, teachers and parents are often at a loss for ways to get involved in the Madison community in a meaningful way that is entirely engaging. Through our many experiences, we have seen first-hand how excited young people get when given a chance to engage in restoration activities. We hope that our efforts will continue to be infectious and the seeds and plants can be used at other sites within our District. 6

7 Proposed Budget Part I: Line Item Budget A. Budget Item and Cost Formula B. Purpose/Activity Estimated Cost C. Grant Request D. Other Funds Requested or Secured (Complete Part II 1. Extended Employment and Fringe Benefits Consult with June Glennon, Malina Piontek or Heidi Tepp in HR for hourly/daily rates to be used. SIGNATURE, HR STAFF WHO REVIEWED BUDGET: Staff planning time Finalize design Meet w/ contractors Design curriculum and scheduling students E. Total below) $1,200 $1, Other Salaries/Fringes (Position, # of staff & duration)d Consult with June Glennon, Malina Piontek or Heidi Tepp in HR for hourly/daily rates to be used. SIGNATURE, HR STAFF WHO REVIEWED BUDGET: Natural cob/eco builder (David Hornemann 100 $20/hour) $2,000 $2, Capital Items: Equipment over $5000 (List individually with cost) See the Things to Remember section for directions regarding required signatures. SIGNATURE, TECHNICAL SERVICES DIRECTOR: Building materials Solar panel for electrical tie-in and wiring Plumbing Rain barrels Green house glass $4,200 $2,200 $1,150 $300 $1,350 $4,200 $300 $4,700 SIGNATURE, BUILDING SERVICES DIRECTOR: Total Capital Items: $9,200 SIGNATURE, ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR: 5. Non-Capital Items (materials, supplies, books, manipulatives, food, etc.) (List individually with estimated cost) Consult with Mary Teppo in Administrative Services if total purchase will be $5,000 or more. SIGNATURE, ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR: Soil Trays Growing tables Starter plants and seeds Total Non-capital: $200 $450 $1,000 $850 $2,500 $1250 $750 Total Project Budget $14, ($6,250) $8,

8 Part II: Detail on Other Funds Requested or Secured Instructions: Please complete the following chart to identify the sources from which you have secured, or are seeking, the other funds you need to complete your project (shown in Column D in Part I above). To indicate the status of each alternate funding source request, place an X in the appropriate box in column C, D, or E. For each source from which funding has not yet been secured, please indicate the expected decision date in column F. Be sure that your bottom-line total in column B below is equal to or greater than the total on line 8, column D, in Part I above. A. Alternate Funding Source B. Amount Requested Status of Funding Request C. Approved D. Application to be Submitted E. Application Submitted F. Expected Application Decision Date Spring Harbor Gardening Association $250 X Friends of the Madison School Forest $500 X 3/10 Spring Harbor Field Biology Club $500 X Bruce Company $500 X 6/10 Findorf Construction $2,500 X 4/1/10 Spring Harbor Endowment $2,000 X 11/10 TOTAL $6,

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