First Day of Design Club

The first day of the after school program at Casey displayed the difficulty and excitement of starting a new program. Walking in I was not positive of how the day would play out, how many students would be involved, or the reaction of the students to the program. At first we had four students officially signed up, in comparison to the ten CU students. As time passed more students began to show up and we were finally settled into the library to begin. The name game provided a positive way to begin building familiarity and gave the students a chance to settle down a bit from all their built- up energy. There were of course some students who were not voluntarily there and would rather have socialized than listen, but as time went on the students became more involved and interested in what we had to teach.
The ecological footprint was a great way to get the students interested in both our program and the environment. I was surprised by the prior knowledge and understanding these 6th grade students had about sustainability, their impact on the earth, and how they as individuals can be "green" in everyday life. Overall, the first activity with the Casey middle school students was a success and will hopefully cause them to return, with more students, week after week.