GW San Diego’s Earth Lab

 The Earthlab has been a collaborative effort over the past few years of educators, families, businesses, government, NGOs, and students to turn a vandalized, degraded four-acre open space  into a living outdoor science laboratory and garden  for 300 Millennial Tech Middle School (MTM) students , surrounding feeder elementary schools, and  an unprecedented resource for the communities of Southeastern San Diego and beyond.  It has become an organizing principle and significant resource for the new middle school, with a strong focus on science, technology, engineering, and math.

The parcel in question had been characterized for over two decades by failed attempts at improvement.  It became a haven for crime, homeless encampments, and litter.  Four years ago, upon the organization of Groundwork San Diego-Chollas Creek, and the establishment of MTM, the dream for the Earthlab born.  The Earthlab  will respond to academic priorities, school-to-career opportunities, and community health needs.

An ambitious Conservation Science course, recently approved by the San Diego Unified School District  has been launched by MTM.   The course will address the areas of waste management, water, pollution, energy and water conservation, industrial impacts, environmental and public health, and emerging green technologies.  It will foster students’ abilities to think abstractly, work in teams, develop scientific investigation and research skills.  It will encourage student interest in occupations in public agencies and non-profits, in business, engineering, planning, construction, health and related fields. 

The Earthlab will provide the applied, hands-on experiential and service learning component of the conservation science course.  Service learning is increasingly demonstrated to be amongst the most effective learning strategies in the country.  In this field laboratory, students will understand landscape ecology, alternative building materials, low-impact construction techniques grey water and wetlands water capture techniques, soil science, and biological pollution abatement solutions.  They will use the on site laboratory, and their new understandings to develop projects and strategies that address the environmental pollution and economic justice problems that have long plagued Southeastern San Diego. They will use the food garden opportunities to address the longstanding food justice problems of their community.

Earthlab collaborators  include:

San Diego Unified School District: the Earthlab  is managed by the MTM leadership team with support from the school district’s landscape, security, and maintenance staff.  MTM has agreed to provide the ongoing landscaping and maintenance support for the Center, once constructed and operational.

Groundwork San Diego-Chollas Creek(501c(3): GWSDCC has led the planning process with and on behalf of MTM and the school district for this project, and has  completed over $700,000 in habitat restoration and education along Chollas Creek since 2007.Groundwork will manage the Sempra grant, and continue to support all fundraising and education activities at the CSTC.

NASSCO:  NASSCO  and its partners Joyner and Performance Contracting Inc have a long tradition of outstanding community and environmental service. They have brought significant improvements to the Earthlab, including student garden beds, irrigation, and property upgrades.  They are critical to the success of the Earthlab.

The Earthlab will be promoted as an integral part of the curriculum and culture of  MTM, through which best practices in teaching and service learning will be shared throughout San Diego City Schools, the region and, throughout the state(the district hopes to become part of the statewide CalServe network through which habitat-based service learning is being tested and evaluated as an instructional strategy). Additionally, through its Advisory Committee, the Earthlab will have an ongoing collaboration with a broad spectrum of community partners.  State-of-the art technologies, conservation practices, stewardship, and place-based information sharing will be a cornerstone of the Center.

The primary populations to be served will be the students and communities in Southeastern San Diego. Southeastern San Diego, with a population of 160,000, is comprised of the lowest household incomes in the City of San Diego, with many households below the poverty level.  The unemployment rate is 12.7 %, compared to 6.2% citywide.  The demographics of our participants is 64% Hispanic, 20% African American, 5% Asian, and 11% other (Caucasian, and Pacific Islanders).  This ethnic diversity distinguishes neighborhoods within Southeastern San Diego from other neighborhoods throughout San Diego. Environmental Justice and Disadvantaged Community (DAC) issues of toxins, crime, and blight characterize many of these communities. The schools to be initially served are:

  • MTM                                                38 % Hispanic  37% African American
  • Horton                                               80% Hispanic    9% African American
  • Chollas Meade                                  60% Hispanic    23% African American
  • Emerson-Bandini                                92 % Hispanic  6% African American

                                   

Earthlab objectives include:

MTM, which replaces a failing high school and enrolls predominantly under-served African-American and Hispanic students, has embraced as its educational philosophy the  hands-on, project and problem-based Project Lead the Way ( PLTW®), bringing rigor to traditional technical programs and relevance to traditional academics.  MTM is a magnet school, working with students, teachers and community partners to apply knowledge and skills through real world projects. MTM is looking to the establishment of the Earthlab and its related service learning activities to be a cornerstone in the new instructional strategies being employed on behalf of these underserved students.  Failure is not an option. A national study of Learn and Serve America programs suggests that effective service-learning programs improve grades, increase attendance in school, and develop students’ personal and social responsibility, all goals central to the success of MTM and the Earthlab.

 The abandoned four-acre site for the Earthlab is adjacent to the MTM campus. It  has long been home to illegal and often violent activity, and is a source of danger to the MTM population.  It is also the source of the unanswered dreams of literally hundreds if not thousands of educational, family, business and community leaders over the past decade, as efforts have all failed to translate theses dreams into reality.  Now, finally, with funding from Sempra and the convergence of the new MTM, the new Conservation Science curriculum, the SEDC/Jacobs vision for the “greening of Southeastern San Diego,” and the compelling interest of dozens of partners and collaborators, this dream can be realized.