"Planet Protectors": Where Have We Been? What Does this Program Look Like? What do our Partners Think?

Harvard Kent Community Learning center, Charlestown

Neighborhood House Charter School, Dorchester
"e" inc.'s activities are interactive and create excitement amongst our children. When they return to the class, they are bubbling over with what they "got to do in "e" inc." The students have also learned very helpful science techniques that they then used in MCAS tests, such as tallying data and creating/reading graphs. We are very excited to have "e" inc. be a part of our after school program at the Neighborhood House Charter School. It is a relationship we are very excited to grow and expand in the future."

- Trina Heinisch, Director of After School and Summer Programs

Jackson Mann Community School, Brighton
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Ohrenberger Community Center, West Roxbury
The "e" inc. educator is outstanding; working in a way that makes that is geared towards making environmental science interesting and fun. Our children worked on weekly lessons about the Ocean and the effects human actions have on this biome. The classes even incorporate discussions by the kids, who also ask fantastic questions. The end result? My kids have become curious about their environment and have worked to come up with some solutions on how to protect and conserve the resources we have. "e" inc. has been a special asset to our program.

- Tom Regan, Program Supervisor

BELL Foundation Summer Program, Roslindale

Vine Street Community Center, Roxbury
Vine Street strongly supports the "e" inc. science and action program. The program is designed to deliver quality environmental and science programs for youth and is a valuable partner…enhancing our children's abilities in science through experiments while helping them understand the environment in their community.

- Dave Hinton, Cluster Administrator

Chittick Elementary School, Mattapan
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Orchard Gardens Community Center, Roxbury

Mission Hill Charter School, Mission Hill
At The Mission Hill Charter School, in Roxbury, we were investigating the
clear-cutting of the rainforests with my fourth grade "Planet Protectors" team. As we discussed some of the reasons for clear cutting, I mentioned that rainforests are cut down to make room to raise cattle so many fast food restaurant chains can get inexpensive meat. I was pleased with the participation of my students in the discussion and actually surprised by the maturity of one girl in the fourth grade who me a question that many people struggle with when trying to understand how they can effect a change. She asked, "If I stop eating meat at a large chain in my neighborhood, how will that make any difference? Won't everyone else continue eating there?" This question allowed me to revisit one of "e" inc.'s most important action concepts -- the nested box.

In our groups, we teach that when one person learns about an important environmental problem, she can begin by making change first in her own choices. She is the smallest box in the nested box set. From there, she can pass on her knowledge to friends and family and eventually to her entire community, adding a bigger box with every effort. The next week, this young girl wrote a pledge to not eat meat on Thursdays and, as a group, we have begun to brainstorm ideas of how to involve the entire school in this action.

- Kimberly Guerra, "e" inc. educator

King Open School, East Cambridge
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Frisoli Youth center, East Cambridge

Cambridge YWCA, Central Square

Winthrop School, Roxbury

Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center - Red Oak After Care

Samuel Mason School, Roxbury

Mildred Avenue Community Center, Mattapan

Lucy Stone After School, Dorchester

Roosevelt Towers, East Cambridge

Education