A "Good"bye to Casey

Well I have to say that the design club party went great! I can't believe how many people showed up. It might be the first time that the CU students were actually out number, either way it was close. It's a great feeling when you have spent so much time and effort working with the Casey students to see all their families show up to support what they have been doing. It's also great to see all our Casey students excited to show what they have done to their families. Lastly it's just great to get to hangout and party with the Casey students that we have been working with all semester. What even more important is that I think after two semesters of design club at Casey we are actually starting to make progress towards having an actual sustainable design class. I know that Casey has allot going on but I'm optimistic that we have started a legacy with design club that will be carried on hopefully at Platte but if not defiantly at the new Casey. Either way after these last few weeks and last year of design club for me, I know that our Casey design club students will carry on what they have learn for the rest of their lives. Furthermore when they look back on their years at Casey I hope they know that they also left a legacy behind by participation in design club. This has been a long haul for me and I have spent more time then I could have ever imagine at Casey which makes me realize that I will really miss working with the student and even the old rickety school.

Ben

Design Club Party

The Design Club party went really well. I was a little worried when only 2 parents were there at 5:30, but soon pretty much all of the kids who attended arrived with their parents. The movie went really well, after working out a few glitches with sound and I think that the parents and kids enjoyed watching their accomplishments over the semester. I think that the kids had a really good time explaining their designs to their parents and they seemed proud of their accomplishments. The prizes added some excitement to the night and the kids seemed to really enjoy their target and Barnes and Noble gift cards. I think that the Party was a perfect wrap up for the end of design club. It was cool to see all of our semesters teachings and progress. Even though at times I felt like the kids were not interested, from their designs and excitement I now know they took a lot from design club. I only hope that they will now teach their friends and parents about sustainability, and that they themselves are more eco-conscious in their everyday lives.

-Kaley

Final Thoughts

Well, it was quite a semester. We experienced good days, and bad days. While the bad days seem to stick out in our minds, the Design Club overall seemed to be a success. Per the students' surveys and just the individual-type interviews we completed, it was obvious that basically every Casey student who stuck around till the end basically loved it and would do it again. One thing that certainly seems obvious upon looking back is the varying success of the different activities. The two that seemed to be the most popular, based on how everyone spent the bulk of their time on one or the other, were the sustainable communities and the green roofs. From this it seems clear that to everyone, the best activities are those that are hands on and involve everyone from start to finish. The other activities, like the carbon calculator and activity packets, were obviously less interesting and exciting. Also, when the architect came and essentially gave a lecture concerning the new school, it was quite obvious that it was not quite as successful, and the only part that the students seemed to enjoy was getting to see the designs for the new school. I think these were important lessons to learn about working with middle schoolers, which certainly helped us near the end, and will help the CU students and the future of the class to find success in future participatory work. As I said, the Casey Design Club was truly a successful program, despites its flaws and problems along the way. While there are things to improve for the future, everyone learned something valuable and EVERYONE can take something away from this great experience; I was glad to be a part of it.

Casey Design Club Final Evaluation

It is not the end of our semester with the Casey Middle School students and our Design Club. Despite the rough start and the doubt that I had that it would actually result in any positive outcomes, seeing all the kids at the presentation tonight showing off their models to their parents and friends shows just how strong working with the community can be despite all odds. We presented our final projects of video evaluations of design club, papers of the benefits of participatory processes, and manuals that would help future participatory projects succeed, tonight at the presentation. I think getting the parents reactions to what we did and how we tired to work with the kids as opposed to using them really turned me around on the whole process. At first I wasn’t sure that an entire community would want to get involved or would understand thee importance of a project like ours, but I heard that one of the fathers offered to help next time we created a design club by donating materials, time or whatever we needed at the time.
I think all in all the Design Club was a success. We definitely made an impact on the kids and I think they learned why sustainability is so important in design and lifestyles these days. I think one of the most successful parts of the club was the relationship that we developed with the kids. They really started to open up to us and I think that the relationship made the experience a much more positive one and hopefully the kids will be willing to be more involved in the future. I think in a participatory project that is what keeps it alive is teaching the students how to be involved and eventually they might begin to start their own community project an eventually the movement will become much greater.
I feel that the activities we did for the most part were good with the students, those who did them remembered them and felt that they did learn something from it. The most successful was the model building which I think was so popular because it was really a chance for them to express themselves and drive the activity as opposed to be taught it. They really liked the hands on experience and I feel that we were just there to facilitate things and observe their work. However, I feel that the project would have been more successful if we had created a bigger recruitment strategy. We didn’t have many students and the CU students still outnumbered them. So in the future I think early recruitment would benefit in the long run.
I loved working with the kids and I think I came away from the experience a better designer. I look at a design in a totally different way than I did before. I look at how it fits in with the surrounding environment much more both in appearance and in how it might obstruct their activities or enhance their activities. What do they use the building for and how does that differ or relate to that of the owner of the building. I think about all of the stakeholders now and not just the primary use of the building. For example, how do the parents use the building as opposed to the teachers? How does a janitor use the building as opposed to a gym teacher? There is a lot more to look at and incorporating all of that into a design is what makes it truly sustainable due to it’s efficiency and the connection made with it.

-Brittany

What a Great Finish!

Today we had our final celebration for our Design Club, and what a great success it was! I arrived early to help a few kids finish up with their projects. They all finished earlier than expected so they helped us by designing the layout of the room so that all of the work could be viewed in the best way possible. It was like taking the participatory process to that final step and having them help out with every last detail. As the starting time for the party rolled around, there weren't very many people at the party yet. It was a little worrying until a surge of parents and teachers showed up! It was great that almost every design club member was present! The kids seemed to really enjoy showing their projects off and telling what they had learned about in the past seven weeks. The adults seemed to be very impressed with what we all accomplished. I was thanked multiple times by parents for having been apart of the club. The prizes that we handed out were a great success as well! Everyone got a bunch of things with the explanation that they had worked very hard so thats why they were getting extras. It was a great gathering and I think that everyone enjoyed it. Even the siblings looked like they were having a good time. It was strange when I felt sad saying good bye to the club members, but they were such a great group of kids that it was hard not to get attached.
I think that our participatory process experience was a great success. Everyone learned something that we will be able to use in our day-to-day lives. I'm really happy with the whole process and am glad that I was able to be a part of it.
Chelsea
30 April 2008

Design Club 4/23

It seems like design club has been going really well recently. Even though we had some rough patches at the beginning, it seems like the club has really taken off. All of the Students seem really excited about the activities we are doing and the club as a whole. When talking to the children you can tell just how much they have learned and how much they truly care about the ideas of sustainability.
They are all really great children, and their ability to build the models like they did was really amazing. They all had a pretty good plan of what they wanted out of the model and how they were going to get there. My group knew they wanted a ‘deer elevator’ from the very beginning and this week they finally built their ‘deer elevator.’ The amount of planning that went into that fairly small addition was amazing. They really got into it and were really excited to see their final result.
My group was also very excited to have this final banquet. They were talking about what they were going to tell their parents. I think it is a great idea to give some sense of closure to the design club. Rather then just ending on the last day and being done with it. It also gives them a chance to show off what they have worked on.
The only problem we had with the green roof, is that our flowers were moldy. I think that if we do a green roof like this again we need to consider how long until the roofs are actually presented before planting. I am not really sure what the flowers are going to look like by the day of the banquet.
Overall, I really feel that design club really made a turn for the better. We were all getting worried that it wasn’t going to workout, but it really ended up turning into a great experience for all of the children and CU students involved.
--Laura

Ideal Communities and Green Roofs Equal a Fun Time

Well for the last two weeks the Casey students have been busy at work making either green roofs or their ideal community. I think that this has defiantly been their favorite activity probably because it allows them to use their imaginations, its hands on, there's a glue gun, and they get to make a huge mess, I mean what could be better than that it even sound like fun to me. Also for the first time this year it seem like all the Casey students are actually fully participating in the design club activities. What even more exciting is that they are all incorporating things that they have learned in design club about green roofs, sustainability, and other green features into their models. I mean they are still coming up with some crazy ideas but at least they have to do with what we have been teaching them. After our low point in design club right before spring break I was beginning to doubt if the students were there for the right reasons but these last few weeks have restored my faith in our design club students. I'm glad things are ending on a good note and am looking forward to seeing all the students present their model on our final day of design club.

Ben

One Last Day

So we had our final day at Casey, and I have to say it was kind of sad to finish up there. Hanging out and building all sorts of cool with the Casey students was a fun and unique situation that we probably will never again get the chance to do. Even though turnout wasn't perfect, I feel like we still had a good number of kids, particularly of the kids who were the most interested in finishing their projects. I felt like the kids accomplished quite a bit, while also learning a lot about sustainability. Overall, for a final day, Thursday went just fine as projects kind of wound down and everyone kind of finished up what they hoped to do. We certainly found success in keeping students entertained until the end, and students certainly seemed to want to continue the process further past that day. By keeping everyone interested, we succeeded not only in our goal of sustaining participation, but it meant that we were able to continue the education process, while continuing to provide entertainment for the Casey students. I certainly hope the Casey students appreciate the experiences, while finding it fun, useful, and educational at the same time.
~Austin~

All finished up!

Our final design club meeting went as quick as it came. In no time the groups continued to work on their green roof designs, and began to consider what they would say when presenting at the final party. I couldn't help but think about the seeds Galen and I planted in the green roof model today as a metaphor for the design club. I really hope that "seeds" were planted in the kids minds that generates a new sustainable generation in the years to come. It is sad to say goodbye, but our work here is done. Can't wait to see their presentations at the final party! (jon bortles 4/29/08)

Last Day: Design Club

The Design Club went really well again today, everyone just touching up and finishing their models. We didn't really have a lot more to do and it seemed like most of the kids were satisfied with their green roof designs. All of the models looked great and I was really impressed with all of the kids knowledge and commitment towards sustainability. I feel like now all of them have the basic elements if green design under their belt after learning about solar panels, wind power, ecological aspects, transportation, and sense of place within communities. Design club is a really cool idea especially in Boulder and after seeing everyones projects the headway that we made toward participatory is beginning to sink in. I really hope that the parents are as impressed with what their children have learned and created in design club as I have been.

-Kaley

The final day at Casey

Our last day at Casey Middle School was bittersweet. It was exciting to see all of the designs the students had made of the green roofs coming together and for the students to have a chance to display and talk about their accomplishments. It was nice and relaxing to a have a day just to complete the designs and gave the CU students more of a chance to talk with the Casey students and to interact on a more personal level. The students all seemed very excited about the green roofs they had created and were eager to share their ideas and knowledge on them. Although the beginning days of our Design Club were not as successful as we had planned, the final weeks displayed how a participatory project can work and how it can really benefit youth participants. The hands-on projects really got the students involved and gave them a chance to display what they had learned through their own creative ways. It was a great experience working with the 6th grade students from Casey Middle School and I hope they had as much fun throughout these last few weeks as I had!!


Stevi

Last day of design club

Thursday was the final day of design club for the Casey middle school kids. I was very impressed by all of their designs and ideas. There was one boy designed a fully sustainable city. He had solar cars, a water collector, solar panels on the roof, green roofs, they grew their won food, wind turbines, and used sensory watering techniques! He had thought of everything! One girl designed the new green roof of the Casey middle school and even thought of xeriscaping! There were points in the semester where it seemed the kids were learning nothing, but today proved they were. They have picked up on all the lessons and were able to apply them a real life situation!

04/24/08 at Casey

I have to say, I am a bit sad that this week was our last design club before the final party/presentation. It seems as if everything was finally coming together and working well, and now we are finished. I am very proud, however, that we were all able to pull everything together once and for all. I would have been a bit disappointed is every design club was like the first few we had. You just have to focus on what great weeks we have had during the second have of design club. And I would like to say that this week was a great way to finish design club. With the exception of Odie and Harrison, we had our regular children attend, we had a really fun activity that everyone loved, and it seems as if the kids were really having fun. I am really excited for the final presentation and party because I will get to see all the kids from the Wednesday design club (which I never got to attend) and we will get to hear some of the kids talk about their projects and hear some of their ideas. Like I said earlier, I am a bit disappointed that we couldn’t get great results right away, but I do believe that these past weeks have been awesome.

Joanna Kropelnicki

Last Real Casey Meeting

Our last meeting with the Casey kids was mostly a finish up of projects. We had the kids fill out surveys about the club, handed out flyers to invite their parents to our presentation, and let them finish up with their projects as much as the liked. It was a nice relaxed atmosphere. It really showed what kind of a connection we have made with this group of kids over the past few weeks. They were all comfortable and joking around with us. It was a really fun and relaxed day that was a great wrap up for our group.

Chelsea

24 April 2008

Casey Design Club: Week 7

This was our final week at Casey for design club. Overall, I feel like the entire process was a success as all of the kids seemed to enjoy themselves and did in fact learn a lot about sustainability. As we finished up all of the models the students had started the two weeks prior, CU students encircled the group and took down comments and interviews on film. The students explained their models to the camera and were able to point out the multiple elements of sustainable design in their models. We were able to finish up all of the models today, as well as get the green roof designs completed. We even tested a couple of the green roof designs that had irrigation systems in place, and they worked, as planned, to perfection, as well as the amusement of the Casey students. Afterwards, we gathered all the students to complete a comprehensive survey the contained a multitude of questions spanning the course, which covered their feelings about the after school program in general. The results, at least from what I saw, were that the kids enjoyed their time with us, as well as in the after school program, especially towards the end of the course when they were able to get hands-on with design. Next week we look forward to presenting both the CU projects with faculty and personnel, as well as presenting with the Casey students work to Casey and parents/faculty.

Columbine this week, however, was not such a bright turnout, as many of the younger students seemed easily drawn off task with an absent teacher. However, at least for my group, we were able to finish up our sustainable communities within our group. I was even able to draw out a few original ideas from my kids on what they could do in their communities to achieve a more sustainable site. Next week should be back to normal, however, as their teacher will be back in charge and should prove positive in allowing us to wrap up out models with the Columbine students.

-Ian

April 22nd Columbine ES & 23rd Casey MS

This week was very interesting at both Columbine Elementary & Casey Middle because they both seemed to go in different directions this week. Last week we did not go to Columbine and this week the second graders had a substitute on the day that we worked with them. I think that the sub represented a sense that “we don’t have to do anything” to the kids because to some degree, they were out of control. We worked with clean child-proof clay this week and some of the kids put it in their mouths and were spitting it at each other. They seemed to have lost their interest in the actual design process which was a little disappointing because when we last went two weeks ago, they were on task and excited for the whole hour. In contrast, we accomplished a lot this today at Casey MS. I worked with a young man named David who has attended almost every day at Design Club so far. He began coming on both Wednesdays and Thursdays a few weeks ago and really has become excited about designing his community, that he named "D-Tville." I was astonished to see how much he had done on the Thursday of last week when I was not around. He added gardens with soil, a few homes, and roads to his sustainable community. He was excited about explaining the sustainable concepts to the CU students making films and he seemed to really take a liking to this project. Next week will be our final presentation at Casey and I’m excited to see how David presents his project that he has worked so hard on. He should really be proud of it, because I’m very proud of the progress he has made over the last several months.

Brett

April 22nd at Columbine

Today, I and a few other students from the class took a trip to Columbine Elementary for the second week. The activities for this week were simply to finish up the community models we began the last time we met. However, as we concluded last time, we needed to incorporate more ideas of sustainability into the community models. This task, however, is very difficult when working with this group of kids. It may be their age, or it may be the fact that their regular teacher was absent today, but the children were rowdier than ever! It was hard enough to get them to stay on the topic of the models without fighting over materials with the other groups. So since we had to spend most of our time trying to control the children, it was hard to try to teach them about sustainability. We did, however, get the children thinking about trees, and how they can benefit the community. Overall, whether or not the few hours we have spent with the second graders proved to be successful, it seems that everyone had a really great time building the models. We are planning to meet with the children one more time next week to compare everyone’s models and talk about sustainable communities.

Joanna Kropelnicki

April 17th at Casey

As we are nearing the end of the after school design club, I believe that the last few weeks have been the most successful weeks of the whole semester. As of last Thursday, we have about 5 Casey students who have come every week for the last 3 weeks. As far as this last week goes, I believe that the children love the hands on activities and the one on one interaction with the CU students. The activity for this last week was successful in a few different ways. Not only did we have enough Casey students to have the ideal student to student ratio, but the kids also had a lot of freedom in what they decided to do. Unlike every other design club meeting, this week, the children had their choice of one of 3 activities: continue their community model, create a physical green roof design, or create a green roof design using sketch up. This is the factor that the kids loved the most. Of course it helped a ton that we had Dominoes delivered to the school. But overall, I believe that the Design Club meetings are getting better every week, I just wished that we had more time with the Casey students.

Joanna Kropelnicki

Continuing Success

So this last week we seem to have sustained our success and our numbers, which I think largely has to do with the projects we are taking part in. This week, students had more free reign for what they wanted to do, participating in either the continued construction of their previous projects, or the use of SketchUp, with several of the students were certainly very excited to start. I stayed behind with the students building models, assisting them as need be and watching the learning experience. From those who tried to put together a green roof to those who were still wanting to finish up their towns, the students seemed to actually be having fun while learning something useful about sustainability and green design. Not only was the experience fun and beneficial for the Casey students, it certainly seemed to be important for the CU students as well, as we were all interested in the outcomes of the projects, while enjoying spending time with the students. It seems clear to me that the secret to the success of Design club is allowing students to choose for themselves what they want to do, and doing something hands on. As a side note, however, I think it was a very good idea to start providing snacks, because the pizza this week was very popular with everyone involved, causing the kids to get ramped up a bit before beginning, and providing a bit of a morale booster to always hungry college students :).
-Austin-

GREEN ROOF

Over all Thursday’s design club went well! We had all of the same kids back, who have by now become regulars. They were all very excited to begin the green roof projects. Most of them had opted to build their model instead of using sketch-up. However, there were two boys who knew sketch-up and seemed to be very interested in using the program. One of the kids got straight to work as soon as we got into the lab. But the other boy most fooled around. It was clear that he knew how the program worked, but wasn’t so interested in the actual project. It wasn’t until near the end that he started even working on a design. Interestingly enough, the reason he had not shown an interest in the design was because he didn’t understand why he was being asked to do so. He began coming later in the semester, so he never received all the information most others had. This taught me that in any process where people are allowed to come and go freely it is always important to keep track of what each person has been a part of. This way no one gets confused or left behind. - Sam