the environmental learning and action center
Who We Are | "e" News | Education | Film Festival | Action | TLR | Kids | Shop | Gallery | Contact | Donate
e, A sustainable earth begins with me

Newsletter Archives
e update
June 2006
    
“e” inc. Receives National Funding from Starbucks and JP Morgan Chase

This year, because the Starbucks Foundation added environmental literacy to its roster of programs, the “e” inc. commitment to bringing science and action to inner city children caught their attention.  In the winter, we became one of the first recipients of their Starbucks “Giving Voice” grant.  In May, the Foundation flew to Boston and watched our Ocean Biodiversity classes with young children in Cambridge!  Also this year, “e” received a generous contribution from the JP Morgan Chase Investment Corporation.  With this funding we are now able to bring more programs to after school sites within both Boston and the City of Cambridge. It has been an amazing year.

”e” is using the monies from Starbucks and JP Morgan Chase for environment science at four community sites.  One of these is “In Motion,” a wonderful program at the Cambridge YWCA.  “In Motion” targets urban families and brings rigorous dance training to young girls.  The Y was eager to add a science component to their afternoons, but work could only begin when we received the Starbucks and JP Morgan funding.   Now, twenty elementary-aged girls are involved with our Ocean Biodiversity program, as they tend to their new fish tank, explore coastal habitats, and recreate the properties of water.  All of us thank Starbucks and JP Morgan for an exciting opportunity to add 80 more children overall to our roster.
“Planet Protectors” Really Takes Off! New Foundation Supporters and New Sites Served
Chinatown Pledge

PHOTO: THE “E” OCEAN PLEDGE
We are six months into the 2006-year and our after school programs have really grown.  “Planet Protectors,” the “e” after school effort, will reach approximately 250 children and teens by year’s-end.  All of our work is taking place in community centers across Greater Boston.

So far, this year, we have placed the “e” inc. “Ocean Biodiversity” curriculum in nine sites located in: Dorchester, Roxbury, Central Square, East Cambridge, Charlestown, and Chinatown. Ocean Biodiversity, as “e” inc. does it, involves 8-12 like-aged children or teens in a team for ten weeks as they cover such topics as, “Why is water special?” and, “What is your watershed address?” Each week, participants engage in experiments, aquarium observations, and data-collection in their community, as well as games and art projects about the ocean, all in support of our life-in-the-ocean topic.   Also occurring each week are action tasks.   Children sign and track pledges to protect the water, create stories that can be used to teach others, investigate and post signs to protect their closest storm drain, and finally, do outreach at tables to teach others about the water and its inhabitants.

This year the “Planet Protectors” program is partially funded by: The JP Morgan Chase Company, The Robbins de Beaumont Foundation, The Linda Zuker Memorial Fund, The Clipper Ship Foundation, The Fuller Foundation, and The Stride Rite Foundation.  Deep thanks to all for coming on board.
Meet the Teachers
Katie Pritchard

PHOTO: MS KATIE PRITCHARD, EDUCATION COORDINATOR
So who are these amazing staff members at “e” inc.?  Because it is our practice to search for experienced educators with impressive skills in the natural sciences, we have been able to achieve great success in our community-based programming.  Our current teachers possess degrees in Oceanography, Geology, and Biology and years of experience in the field.  One is a Master Gardener, one has a secondary concentration in hydrology, one has run science programs at several important centers along the East Coast.  All love teaching and believe that the mission of changing consumers into conservation-minded citizens can be accomplished with exciting education and a commitment to achieving activism.

Our Director of Education Programs is Ms.   Katie Pritchard, who comes to us fresh from a year at sea.  Ms. Pritchard is deeply versed in the field and classroom education methods important for the informal education models used by “e” in after school settings.  As the head of education, Katie brings a wealth of experience in the teaching methods we use.  Katie understands both how to pace a curriculum and how to keep students engaged.  In addition, she has been central to the current structure of our Ocean curriculums.  With her strong background in Marine Biology and her commitment to the importance of action, she has helped “e” move its mission forward.
Children Build Vegetable Beds at “e” inc. Consultation Project in Dorchester Middle School.
girls with rakes

PHOTO: TEENS, TEACHERS, AND CITY-YEAR STAFF CREATE ORGANIC RAISED-BED.
As of this writing, “e” inc. has spent six months consulting to The New Boston Pilot Middle School, helping the school to become an experience-based and environment-focused public school.  The New Boston Pilot was a recent recipient of a three-year grant from the Barr Foundation and “e” was hired to help them actualize this vision.

As pictured above, the students have created a brand new farm area at the base of the school’s property in Grove Hall and a newly-formed team of 14 teachers has used these plots as a focus for investigations in math, science, English literature, writing, and civics.

“e” inc. will be involved here for the next year and we will continue to report on our progress.
BELL Foundation Engages “e” inc. as Summer Program Partner

The BELL Foundation is expanding its work in the Boston area and “e” inc. has been tapped to participate.  This summer, BELL (a national leader in out-of-school time programming) will begin two large programs for grade-school boys from Boston and “e” inc. is providing environment science and field work every day.

With our staff educators, boys in 3rd and 4th grade will work in and out of the classroom to learn both the uniqueness of the Ocean and its inhabitants as well as their important role in protecting our planet for the future.   With Aquaria in the classrooms and trips to the water, we will combine the virtual and the actual in order to help children understand the incredible but endangered resource outside their door.  “e” is pleased to be a partner in the BELL Foundation’s work and to help this new summer project achieve the standards of excellence this company is known for.

From The Director

Over the last few months, all of us at “e” inc. have been deeply involved with the question, “What strategies would really engage children in the conservation and preservation of water?”  As we educated and encouraged our students, we ourselves learned more about the simple differences that each of us can make.

This, then, made us realize that we want to ask all of you, “Have you considered your water use lately?”

In the next few years, global population pressures will make water a very precious commodity indeed.  Because water was the medium that first covered the Earth, it is the "home" in which life began. Every living organism on our planet has evolved to be comprised of water, and each being must continually replenish it, or its internal systems will slow and then expire.

Ironically, because we live on a water planet, we are lulled into a sense that water is plentiful.  In truth, however, only 1% of Earth’s vast storehouse is unsalted water available for our use.  Unlike fish, sky and land dwellers (like us) have no internal capacity to ferret out the salt in the world’s oceans.  This means that this miniscule 1% must be shared by us all.

Already, in many countries the world over, clean and easily accessed water supplies simply do not exist.  Water often must be carried and must be treated.  Often, it is used in an untreated or impure state that endlessly exacts a toll.

In the US, because water is available in our tap, we believe there is an endless supply.  In reality, it is really a ‘slight of hand’ orchestrated by municipalities that spend a fortune recycling and cleaning our water every day.   Now, in spite of this, there is not really enough to meet all our desires (lawn care anyone?).

Ironically, water use is something we have quite a lot of control over.  There is a long list of ways that we can conserve it in our homes and communities.  So today, “e” is asking you, our readers, to add one new water conservation measure to your life and to do this each month.

Relax.  Begin simply.  If you are a bather -- take more showers.  Add a low-flow adjustment to a toilet or showerhead.  Train yourself to turn off running water when brushing teeth or doing dishes.  Fix drips.  Now is the time to buy that Energy Star front-loading washing machine (rebates and deductions abound).  This summer, risk a few brown spots on the grass and water it less or not at all.

When these behaviors are ingrained, try being inventive.  How much can you share, conserve, reuse, etc.?  Challenge yourselves.  Pat yourself on the back whenever you or your kids institute another way to make do with less.

Helping people become ‘Citizen Conservationists for Life’ is our mission.  We encourage you to expand or begin your journey toward this goal today.


Also please consider these two things:

  1. Bringing “e”. programs to your school or after school programs.
  2. Supporting our work in communities with children who deeply need our ideas, our help, and our involvements by going to the donation page on our website and make a gift to “e”.
Take the plunge and make a pledge.

Sincerely,

ricky signature
Dr. Ricky S. Stern
Executive Director

Copyright © 2011 "e" inc. All Rights Reserved.