HSPS YOUTH FARM UPDATE
JANUARY 2021
Dear HSPS Family,
There have been many developments surrounding the HSPS Youth Farm over the last few months. Led by Christine Sepulveda, our AP Environmental Science & Chemistry teacher, our school is set to revitalize the Youth Farm for the Fall 2021 semester. Starting in Spring 2021, we will clear out some of the existing beds, beginning with the beds by the entrance and working our way throughout the rest of the farm. Our plan is to get some dirt and seeds and begin working on the beds on the left side of the farm. Additionally, we will be starting an after school Green Team club, which will help with recycling and gardening at the farm.
For more information, please contact Christine Sepulveda at christine.sepulveda@hsps.us.
Students in the Urban Farming Academy will engage in a sequence of courses and project based learning opportunities to gain knowledge in Urban Farming, Food Justice, Hydroponics, and Agricultural Sciences blended with a commitment to community service embedded in the surrounding community. Topics that student will learn about include: Food Justice, Botany, Growing Soils, Environmental Carpentry and Building, Ecosystems, Crop Management, Irrigation, Small Farm Planning, and Environmental Science. Students will also gain hands-off experience working on our school’s one-acre farm.
Community Action Now I : Introduction to Social Action
Where would this world be without people who cared to protect the environment, conserve nature, unite the people, serve the public, and better OUR school community? Community Action is your chance to take action and make a difference in the issues that concern you. The goal of Community Action Now is to provide the students of HSPS with the necessary tools to become conscious, socially involved students who make a difference in their own lives and someone else’s life. Through various activities, workshops and volunteer projects, you, the students of C.A.N., will make a difference one step at a time.
Community Action Now II: Global Issues/Human Rights
What rights do we have as human beings? How can genocide occur today? What does the United Nations do? How can we advocate for those whose rights have been abused? How can we advocate for ourselves? What global issues exist in the world today? How does globalization impact communities? What is our ecological footprint? How do we obtain food justice in a world plagued with inequality? These are all questions that we will explore as students learn how our choices and decisions in our daily life effect the world.
Ecology
Students will study the interrelationships of plants and animals with physical and biotic factors of the environment and the structure and composition of terrestrial and aquatic communities. Other topics include population dynamics, nutrient cycles, and energy flow.
Environmental Science
Environmental Science engages students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships of the natural world. The course requires that students identify and analyze natural and human-made environmental problems, evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems, and examine alternative solutions for resolving or preventing them. Environmental science is interdisciplinary, embracing topics from geology, biology, environmental studies, environmental science, chemistry, and geography.
AP Environmental Science
The AP Environmental Science course is the equivalent of a one-semester, introductory college course in environmental science, through which students engage with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships of the natural world. The course requires that students identify and analyze natural and human-made environmental problems, evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems, and examine alternative solutions for resolving or preventing them. Environmental science is interdisciplinary, embracing topics from geology, biology, environmental studies, environmental science, chemistry, and geography.