by Carter Leyva, 12th Grade/Assistant Grant Coordinator
with David Kates, Head Librarian/Grant Coordinator
The ITEF grant provides Priory with the necessary equipment to use its campus ecosystem and watershed to study the effects of climate change. Priory’s campus is huge, and through the hard work of many faculty and staff, we have joined forces to create a meaningful impact for everyone in the Priory community. The main activities that Priory students have been doing include podcasting, tree identification toward arboretum status, and gardening.
On the podcasting side of the grant, 9th and 10th grade “Theatre and Video Production” classes are participating in large-scale projects using the new podcasting equipment. Students from 9th grade recorded a Christmas radio play from World War II with sound effects, and 10th grade developed their audiovisual skills in preparation to produce a group film this spring. Ninth grader, Aidan Strauss, reflected on his project, saying, “It was very impactful throughout the three or four weeks we were using the equipment, which helped us improve. The old equipment would have slowed us down, but the new equipment was faster and easier. It extends our boundaries of learning.” Having professional-level equipment has greatly assisted the students as they continue to develop their passions throughout high school. Tenth grader, Peter Moy, wisely stated that this new hardware is “really useful in careers in editing and production… a creative outlet for students who are interested in that area.”
Furthermore, a 10th grade English class has been recording their poems; the 12th grade elective “C.S. Lewis: Exploring Science and Religion” participated in a 30-minute podcasting project discussing the books they read in C.S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy; and 7th grade Geography produced a detailed podcast interviewing immigrants to study migration to the United States.
One of the biggest impacts of the new podcasting gear is improved audio quality. Barrett Beimdiek, a current 10th grader, shares the common opinion that the audio quality is much “better than just recording on a phone.” Students in the past had to use their phones or computers to record audio portions of a podcast-like project. With the grant, sound quality is no longer an issue.
A composting initiative has also begun, as the Gardening Club has been spending the fall weekends “in the dirt.” The school garden has been completely overhauled and students are composting the weed-free garden waste into a nutrient-rich soil to reuse in the very garden from which it grew. In November, nearly 300 bulbs were planted that will sprout in the spring, filling the garden with flowers to be distributed to the school community. Through the creation of these new clubs and using the garden for food and composting, we are not just bringing a ‘farm to table’ approach - but rather a ‘farm to classroom,’ and even a ‘farm to desk’ initiative! What does this mean exactly?
Well, Priory offers a liberal arts education (with a focus on the classics), one that traditionally has not presented enough opportunities to take concepts learned in the classroom out into the world. Through this grant initiative, students are able to take learning done inside the classroom, and then apply it directly to the outside world – in this case, the environment. Arboretum tracking and gardening are two prime examples of this concept in action. Giving students the opportunity to get their hands dirty in nature allows them to learn in a completely unique way.