Community Partners and Awards
AGsploration: The Science of Maryland Agriculture
Science teacher Matthew Hand attended an AGsploration training on June 17, 2013. He was acquainted with the curriculum, experienced several AGsploration lessons, and received a complimentary teaching kit and full copy of the curriculum. https://extension.umd.edu/agsploration (documentation in PD section)
Baltimore Eco Systems Study
BES has provided consultation and training to Mathew Hand, Gwen Mullen, and Jocelyn Virtudes, providing curriculum, resources, and student collection activites. These materials and resources have been, and will be used to inform instruction of Environmental Science and Biology (9th, 10th, and 11th graders) and the Student Green Team (all grade levels). (see more information in Environmental Issues Instruction)
Baltimore Energy Challenge- Sustained Partner
The Baltimore Energy Challenge(https://baltimoreenergychallenge.org/about ) began it’s partnership with the school and the surrounding community during the 2012-2013 SY. Student’s at the school worked with a team from the Baltimore Energy Challenge on an Energy project in 2013 and also campaigned to spread the message of energy conservation thought-out the school and community. The school served as an energy hub and provided the Baltimore Energy Challenge several opportunities to engage and educate teachers, community members, and parents on simple steps they could take in their homes and in the school to save energy. The BEC team handed out energy saving kits and covered the 10 TEN ways to save energy. Adults were asked to take an energy saving pledge. The team was invited to several PTO meetings, and the Student Exhibitions – Each student in the school has a quarterly parent-teacher conference. At this parent teacher conference teachers presented the BEC pledge to parents and offered kits. This was a unique partnership for the school and the Baltimore Energy Challenge Team. The Baltimore Energy Challenge was able to partner with the school and spread the message of energy conservation in the school and in the surrounding community. The School’s green team students took the message of energy conservation home to their families and encouraged them to save energy. (documentation in PD and BMP section)
Baltimore Free Farm- Sustained Partner
Independence is literally a neighbor of the Baltimore Free Farm. In 2012, members of BFF provided technical assistance and hands on work in the schoolyard. They provided instruction to both students and staff on invasive species removal, alternate forms of mulching and ground cover, and natural strategies to reduce pests. Additionally, Independence works with BFF members whenever they need access to the local tool bank, for example the Annual Fall Clean Up. See photos in Structures for Outdoor Learning section. (see letter of support below)
Baltimore Office of Sustainability- Sustained Partner
The Baltimore Office of Sustainability, in partnership with the Baltimore Energy Challenge, Baltimore Community Foundation, and City Schools, offers "Green, Healthy, Smart Challenge" grants to help students at Baltimore City Public Schools improve the environment. Independence has been awarded 5 of these over the past 5 years and completed 4 Sustainably projects and 1 Energy project. The Office of Sustainability develops and advocates for programs, policies, and actions by government, citizen, businesses, and institutions that improve the long-term environmental, social, and economic viability of Baltimore City. In addition to overseeing and tracking the implementation of the Baltimore Sustainability Plan, the Office integrates sustainability into City government operations and develops partnerships with ground performing related work. Independence School’s Green work has helped the city strive towards its goal in the City’s Sustainability Plan- Every School in Baltimore City will become a Green School. Independence has been awarded 5 Green, Healthy, Smart Challenge grants and the students have implemented Sustainability and Energy Projects in their school. The Office of Sustainability has provided grants to the school and has connected Independence’s Green Team to resources and additional partnerships. The school began this partnership in 2010 and it continues today with the school receiving grants totaling $1000 in 2014.
In 2013, Independence students attended GreenScape 2013, a forum for students working on green issues to meet; present their ideas and celebrate their achievements. This event was hosted by the Baltimore Office of Sustainability at Poly High school. Independence Students created a display about water pollution and presented their work to fellow students, teachers, community members and elected officials during the event. Independence students will be creating a display this year of their reusable bag project and presenting their work at GreenScape 2014 in May of 2014. Independence students continue to look for opportunities to share their green knowledge with their community and Baltimore City. (see attached documents)
Blue Water Baltimore
Blue Water Baltimore is a local non-profit whose mission is to restore the quality of Baltimore’s rivers, streams and harbor to foster a healthy environment, a strong economy, and thriving communities.Blue Water Baltimore has provided a great deal of support to Independence in the form of resources for teaching about the local watershed, technical assistance with grant writing, and pro-bono services of landscape architect, Jean Mellott. (See letter of support from BWB below)
B-More Honey
Tenth grade advisor, Lindsay Feldman, has taken classes on bee stewardship with B-More Honey in preparation for setting up a hive at Independence.
Mimi Thomas of B’More Honey happily explained that the location of Independence is an ideal location for honeybees with a great deal of forage from the four local gardens including that of ACCE, Baltimore Free Farm (a partner organization), Roosevelt Park Community Garden and Independence High School. Mimi Thomas facilitates registration of urban beekeepers and will continue to act as a consultant to the stewards at Independence as we become more skilled. (see more detailed information on this project in the Environmental Instruction page)
Boy Scouts: Life Troop 1000
Independence was approached by an Eagle Scout attending Loyola High School in December 2013 about being the site of an Eagle Project. The Eagle Scout met with the student Green Team and helped identify the project based on student request. The Eagle Scout will be working with local business for donations of materials and plans to gather volunteers to create and assemble several benches for outdoor use- specifically for the outdoor stage.
Business Volunteers of Maryland
In March 2014 the Business Volunteers of Maryland reached out to Renee Goodenow of the Baltimore Office of Sustainability and offered to connect a volunteer marketing professional with Independence students on a marketing/promotional campaign for the B-More Honey hive and the CRAB BAG reusable bag project. (see more about the project in Environmental Instruction section)
C-GRN- Community Greening Resource Network- Sustained Partner
Independence has been a member of C-GRN since 2012. Benefits of membership include access to the local tool bank (Baltimore Free Farm), plant give-aways,and monthly community updates (grants, resources, PD opportunities)
City Forestry Board
Independence to participated in the City Forestry Board's Annual Arbor Day Celebration. Twenty Independence students were paired with 40 elementary students to planting, amending the soil, mulch and stake 40 trees. (more information in Celebraton section)
Chesapeake Bay Trust Foundation
Independence School received $8000 from the CBT Watershed Assistance Grant in order to implement the design phase of the larger Restoration Grant (which will be used for reducing impervious surface, creating a rain garden, and educating the public on native species and the urban water cycle.
Additionally, Independence School teacher, Jocelyn Virtudes was a finalist in the 2013 Chesapeake Bay Trust's Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award.(see attached reward letter and Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award)
Free Your Voice
Free Your Voice is a human rights committee of the United Workers. They are a group of students in Curtis Bay and Brooklyn joining together to stop the nations’ largest trash burning incinerator from being built less than a mile away from their school. Students from Free Your Voice will be visiting Independence later this month to talk to our students. (See more detailed information in the Environmental Instruction section).
Friends of Stony Run
Independence students work with key volunteers to routinely water the trees planted at the Arbor Day Celebration, and to reduce water pollution by picking up trash along the trail in Wyman Park from 36th to 33rd street.
Governor's Explore and Restore Your Schoolshed Partnership
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/cin/explorerestoreschoolshed/index.asp
Independence School Local 1 High was a recipient of the Governor’s pilot program as a way to encourage expansion of rigorous stream studies leading to action projects in Maryland Schools. Participants help refine activities and to generate additional interest in engaging students in investigating and restoring local streams. Professional development, instructional materials, and access to technical assistance were provided. Also, Independence School received $1,000.00 to be used toward stream survey equipment and other educational materials. A stream survey of the Stoney Run will be conducted in May 2014 to be followed by a stream cleanup of the area. Our Citizen Science findings will be mapped with Fieldscope and posted online. (see attached documentation)
GWWO Architects
Local architects, GWWO, Inc./Architects teamed up with Hampden’s Independence School Local 1 to participate in the worldwide Green Apple Day of Service. Members of the GWWO team and other volunteers gave their time to renew the exterior classroom space at Independence School Local 1 from 8:30AM-2:00PM. GWWO, Inc./Architects is a Baltimore, MD-based full service architectural firm that specializes in the planning and design of cultural and educational facilities, with emphasis on quality design that is both evocative and inspirational. Projects include the new Dundalk and Sollers Point High Schools in Dundalk, Maryland; the new Red Pump Elementary School in Bel Air, Maryland; the LEED Platinum Certified Robinson Nature Center in Columbia, Maryland; and the LEED Gold Certified Fort McHenry National Monument & Historic Shrine Visitor Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
(see further documentation in Celebration section and flyer below)
Healthy Eating, Healthy Living Program:
Independence School Local 1 High was chosen to be part of Healthy Eating, Healthy Living, a year-long collaborative educational program between Great Kids Farm and participating schools through which teachers, students, and administrators create a sustainable living educational space on their school grounds. Participation in the program involves the support of school administration, the time and enthusiasm of one teacher per school (Science Teacher Matthew Hand), and the eagerness and excitement to learn about fresh fruits and vegetables from students (9th Grade Environmental Science). (see documentation in PD and Environmental Instruction section)
Independence School Local 1 - Partner to the Community
Independence, true to its mission of providing students with the means to link what they are learning in the classroom to real world experience, has served the community in many ways. In addition to stream, park, and school yard clean ups, students have engaged in educational initiatives in order to share what they have learned with others. In spring of 2013, a group of students canvassed the neighborhood to promote energy saving tips, collect pledges, and to distribute energy saver kits. Students shared what they learned about pollution and the urban water cycle at Greenscape 2013. Ninth graders will be using recycled art at their final Exhibition night to spark conversation about waste, consumerism, and the true cost of items. Tenth graders will work to educate the community about the importance of protecting the honeybee, and invite neighbors to visit the school hive. Finally, students will be creating re-usable shopping bags and marketing them to the community with the help of Business Volunteers of Maryland. For more information and further documentation, please see the Environmental Education section.
Nature Conservancy Nature Works Everywhere Garden Grant
Independence School Local 1 High was one of 12 Baltimore-area schools selected as winners of the Nature Works Everywhere garden grants for the 2013-2014 school year. Presented in collaboration with City Blossoms and sponsored by CSX Transportation, the grants are designed to promote environmental education by providing schools with the funding and instruction to build school gardens and implement interactive, curriculum-based lessons about the environment. - See more at: http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/maryland_dc/newsroom/nature-conservancy-hosts-nature-works-everywhere-garden-build.xml#sthash.kx70WBbV.dpuf
Science teacher Matthew Hand attended an AGsploration training on June 17, 2013. He was acquainted with the curriculum, experienced several AGsploration lessons, and received a complimentary teaching kit and full copy of the curriculum. https://extension.umd.edu/agsploration (documentation in PD section)
Baltimore Eco Systems Study
BES has provided consultation and training to Mathew Hand, Gwen Mullen, and Jocelyn Virtudes, providing curriculum, resources, and student collection activites. These materials and resources have been, and will be used to inform instruction of Environmental Science and Biology (9th, 10th, and 11th graders) and the Student Green Team (all grade levels). (see more information in Environmental Issues Instruction)
Baltimore Energy Challenge- Sustained Partner
The Baltimore Energy Challenge(https://baltimoreenergychallenge.org/about ) began it’s partnership with the school and the surrounding community during the 2012-2013 SY. Student’s at the school worked with a team from the Baltimore Energy Challenge on an Energy project in 2013 and also campaigned to spread the message of energy conservation thought-out the school and community. The school served as an energy hub and provided the Baltimore Energy Challenge several opportunities to engage and educate teachers, community members, and parents on simple steps they could take in their homes and in the school to save energy. The BEC team handed out energy saving kits and covered the 10 TEN ways to save energy. Adults were asked to take an energy saving pledge. The team was invited to several PTO meetings, and the Student Exhibitions – Each student in the school has a quarterly parent-teacher conference. At this parent teacher conference teachers presented the BEC pledge to parents and offered kits. This was a unique partnership for the school and the Baltimore Energy Challenge Team. The Baltimore Energy Challenge was able to partner with the school and spread the message of energy conservation in the school and in the surrounding community. The School’s green team students took the message of energy conservation home to their families and encouraged them to save energy. (documentation in PD and BMP section)
Baltimore Free Farm- Sustained Partner
Independence is literally a neighbor of the Baltimore Free Farm. In 2012, members of BFF provided technical assistance and hands on work in the schoolyard. They provided instruction to both students and staff on invasive species removal, alternate forms of mulching and ground cover, and natural strategies to reduce pests. Additionally, Independence works with BFF members whenever they need access to the local tool bank, for example the Annual Fall Clean Up. See photos in Structures for Outdoor Learning section. (see letter of support below)
Baltimore Office of Sustainability- Sustained Partner
The Baltimore Office of Sustainability, in partnership with the Baltimore Energy Challenge, Baltimore Community Foundation, and City Schools, offers "Green, Healthy, Smart Challenge" grants to help students at Baltimore City Public Schools improve the environment. Independence has been awarded 5 of these over the past 5 years and completed 4 Sustainably projects and 1 Energy project. The Office of Sustainability develops and advocates for programs, policies, and actions by government, citizen, businesses, and institutions that improve the long-term environmental, social, and economic viability of Baltimore City. In addition to overseeing and tracking the implementation of the Baltimore Sustainability Plan, the Office integrates sustainability into City government operations and develops partnerships with ground performing related work. Independence School’s Green work has helped the city strive towards its goal in the City’s Sustainability Plan- Every School in Baltimore City will become a Green School. Independence has been awarded 5 Green, Healthy, Smart Challenge grants and the students have implemented Sustainability and Energy Projects in their school. The Office of Sustainability has provided grants to the school and has connected Independence’s Green Team to resources and additional partnerships. The school began this partnership in 2010 and it continues today with the school receiving grants totaling $1000 in 2014.
In 2013, Independence students attended GreenScape 2013, a forum for students working on green issues to meet; present their ideas and celebrate their achievements. This event was hosted by the Baltimore Office of Sustainability at Poly High school. Independence Students created a display about water pollution and presented their work to fellow students, teachers, community members and elected officials during the event. Independence students will be creating a display this year of their reusable bag project and presenting their work at GreenScape 2014 in May of 2014. Independence students continue to look for opportunities to share their green knowledge with their community and Baltimore City. (see attached documents)
Blue Water Baltimore
Blue Water Baltimore is a local non-profit whose mission is to restore the quality of Baltimore’s rivers, streams and harbor to foster a healthy environment, a strong economy, and thriving communities.Blue Water Baltimore has provided a great deal of support to Independence in the form of resources for teaching about the local watershed, technical assistance with grant writing, and pro-bono services of landscape architect, Jean Mellott. (See letter of support from BWB below)
B-More Honey
Tenth grade advisor, Lindsay Feldman, has taken classes on bee stewardship with B-More Honey in preparation for setting up a hive at Independence.
Mimi Thomas of B’More Honey happily explained that the location of Independence is an ideal location for honeybees with a great deal of forage from the four local gardens including that of ACCE, Baltimore Free Farm (a partner organization), Roosevelt Park Community Garden and Independence High School. Mimi Thomas facilitates registration of urban beekeepers and will continue to act as a consultant to the stewards at Independence as we become more skilled. (see more detailed information on this project in the Environmental Instruction page)
Boy Scouts: Life Troop 1000
Independence was approached by an Eagle Scout attending Loyola High School in December 2013 about being the site of an Eagle Project. The Eagle Scout met with the student Green Team and helped identify the project based on student request. The Eagle Scout will be working with local business for donations of materials and plans to gather volunteers to create and assemble several benches for outdoor use- specifically for the outdoor stage.
Business Volunteers of Maryland
In March 2014 the Business Volunteers of Maryland reached out to Renee Goodenow of the Baltimore Office of Sustainability and offered to connect a volunteer marketing professional with Independence students on a marketing/promotional campaign for the B-More Honey hive and the CRAB BAG reusable bag project. (see more about the project in Environmental Instruction section)
C-GRN- Community Greening Resource Network- Sustained Partner
Independence has been a member of C-GRN since 2012. Benefits of membership include access to the local tool bank (Baltimore Free Farm), plant give-aways,and monthly community updates (grants, resources, PD opportunities)
City Forestry Board
Independence to participated in the City Forestry Board's Annual Arbor Day Celebration. Twenty Independence students were paired with 40 elementary students to planting, amending the soil, mulch and stake 40 trees. (more information in Celebraton section)
Chesapeake Bay Trust Foundation
Independence School received $8000 from the CBT Watershed Assistance Grant in order to implement the design phase of the larger Restoration Grant (which will be used for reducing impervious surface, creating a rain garden, and educating the public on native species and the urban water cycle.
Additionally, Independence School teacher, Jocelyn Virtudes was a finalist in the 2013 Chesapeake Bay Trust's Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award.(see attached reward letter and Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award)
Free Your Voice
Free Your Voice is a human rights committee of the United Workers. They are a group of students in Curtis Bay and Brooklyn joining together to stop the nations’ largest trash burning incinerator from being built less than a mile away from their school. Students from Free Your Voice will be visiting Independence later this month to talk to our students. (See more detailed information in the Environmental Instruction section).
Friends of Stony Run
Independence students work with key volunteers to routinely water the trees planted at the Arbor Day Celebration, and to reduce water pollution by picking up trash along the trail in Wyman Park from 36th to 33rd street.
Governor's Explore and Restore Your Schoolshed Partnership
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/cin/explorerestoreschoolshed/index.asp
Independence School Local 1 High was a recipient of the Governor’s pilot program as a way to encourage expansion of rigorous stream studies leading to action projects in Maryland Schools. Participants help refine activities and to generate additional interest in engaging students in investigating and restoring local streams. Professional development, instructional materials, and access to technical assistance were provided. Also, Independence School received $1,000.00 to be used toward stream survey equipment and other educational materials. A stream survey of the Stoney Run will be conducted in May 2014 to be followed by a stream cleanup of the area. Our Citizen Science findings will be mapped with Fieldscope and posted online. (see attached documentation)
GWWO Architects
Local architects, GWWO, Inc./Architects teamed up with Hampden’s Independence School Local 1 to participate in the worldwide Green Apple Day of Service. Members of the GWWO team and other volunteers gave their time to renew the exterior classroom space at Independence School Local 1 from 8:30AM-2:00PM. GWWO, Inc./Architects is a Baltimore, MD-based full service architectural firm that specializes in the planning and design of cultural and educational facilities, with emphasis on quality design that is both evocative and inspirational. Projects include the new Dundalk and Sollers Point High Schools in Dundalk, Maryland; the new Red Pump Elementary School in Bel Air, Maryland; the LEED Platinum Certified Robinson Nature Center in Columbia, Maryland; and the LEED Gold Certified Fort McHenry National Monument & Historic Shrine Visitor Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
(see further documentation in Celebration section and flyer below)
Healthy Eating, Healthy Living Program:
Independence School Local 1 High was chosen to be part of Healthy Eating, Healthy Living, a year-long collaborative educational program between Great Kids Farm and participating schools through which teachers, students, and administrators create a sustainable living educational space on their school grounds. Participation in the program involves the support of school administration, the time and enthusiasm of one teacher per school (Science Teacher Matthew Hand), and the eagerness and excitement to learn about fresh fruits and vegetables from students (9th Grade Environmental Science). (see documentation in PD and Environmental Instruction section)
Independence School Local 1 - Partner to the Community
Independence, true to its mission of providing students with the means to link what they are learning in the classroom to real world experience, has served the community in many ways. In addition to stream, park, and school yard clean ups, students have engaged in educational initiatives in order to share what they have learned with others. In spring of 2013, a group of students canvassed the neighborhood to promote energy saving tips, collect pledges, and to distribute energy saver kits. Students shared what they learned about pollution and the urban water cycle at Greenscape 2013. Ninth graders will be using recycled art at their final Exhibition night to spark conversation about waste, consumerism, and the true cost of items. Tenth graders will work to educate the community about the importance of protecting the honeybee, and invite neighbors to visit the school hive. Finally, students will be creating re-usable shopping bags and marketing them to the community with the help of Business Volunteers of Maryland. For more information and further documentation, please see the Environmental Education section.
Nature Conservancy Nature Works Everywhere Garden Grant
Independence School Local 1 High was one of 12 Baltimore-area schools selected as winners of the Nature Works Everywhere garden grants for the 2013-2014 school year. Presented in collaboration with City Blossoms and sponsored by CSX Transportation, the grants are designed to promote environmental education by providing schools with the funding and instruction to build school gardens and implement interactive, curriculum-based lessons about the environment. - See more at: http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/maryland_dc/newsroom/nature-conservancy-hosts-nature-works-everywhere-garden-build.xml#sthash.kx70WBbV.dpuf
independence_school_local_1_high2014.pdf | |
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independence_school_local_1_2013.pdf | |
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independence_congrats_letter_2011.doc | |
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energy_grant_report.doc | |
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bwb_support_for_independence_school.doc | |
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award_certificate_for_jocelyn_v1.pdf | |
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cbt_acceptance_letter.pdf | |
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2014_c-grn_application.pdf | |
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arborday2014flyer.doc | |
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cbt_grant_agreement_with_signatures_may_2013.pdf | |
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chesapeake_bay_trust_-_governors_watershed.pdf | |
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chespaeake_bay_foundation_acceptance_letter.pdf | |
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bff-agritopia_letter_of_support.doc | |
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gwwo_flyer.pdf | |
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healthy_eating_healthy_living_registration_81.doc | |
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grant_form_independencesl11.doc | |
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