Tag: education

Empower Playground – Playground Equipment Generating Electricity for Schools in Rural Ghana

Empower Playground – Playground Equipment Generating Electricity for Schools in Rural Ghana

Each day all around the world, children play together.  In some communities and schools there are playgrounds and play equipment, but in rural Ghana, there is often no play equipment at the schools. Former ExxonMobil VP Ben Markham was volunteering with his wife as Mormon missionaries in Ghana, where he noticed the lack of electricity and basic playground equipment in most of the schools he visited.

He thought he could come up with a solution to help with this, and he worked to develop a merry-go-round that would generate about 150 watts of energy per hour as children played on it, that is stored in a battery pack.

Empower Playgrounds, founded by Markham is a nonprofit that has worked to develop these energy creating play equipment, and also works to get these systems to schools in Ghana.  Ghana is located just above the equator, and the day is divided between 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness for most of the year.  It is rated as one of the darkest places, and is great for stargazing, but maybe not so great for getting things done in the dark.

The electricity generated by Empower Playground’s merry-go-round goes to power 50 LED lanterns, that children are able to take home at night.  The playground provides equipment for up to 200 students.  Children are grouped into “Lantern Groups” according to neighborhoods, and usually have about 6 students who use the lanterns to study around the lantern.  Each lantern can last up to 50 hours per charge.

The project is ongoing, and individuals can support the project by donating money, and sharing the word about the project.  The website says that you can provide light for a child for $10 per year.

Image Source and Links:

http://emplay.squarespace.com/

History of Empower Playgrounds – YouTube Video

 

 

 

 

Food Font – at the Shaker Square North Union Farmers Market Sat. August 18th

Food Font – at the Shaker Square North Union Farmers Market Sat. August 18th

Food Font will be at the Shaker Square Farmers Market this Saturday from 8am – 12 noon.

You can read more on the Facebook event page.

I am hoping that tomatoes are out this week – so we can make a tomato alphabet.  Otherwise, we will work with some other seasonal produce to make letters.

If you are in the area – come stop by and make a letter and say “hi!”  (Or better yet – you can make a “H” and a “I” out of food!)

 

A Unique Classroom-Free School : Vittra Telefonplan

A Unique Classroom-Free School : Vittra Telefonplan

Picture the school classroom.  Rows of desks with chairs, teacher in the front, everyone facing the front.  For many years educational experts have proposed that the traditional setup of school classrooms does not foster collaboration or creativity. In Sweden, the Vittra International school system, which operates 30 schools is changing the look and feel of the classroom.

Vittra schools work with three key words in everything that they do:  networks, skills, and language.  Students develop bilingual skills in English and Swedish and by creating international contacts through networks and and exchange program. Using computers and developing technological skills is a strong value of the schools.

One of the newest Vittra schools, Telefonplan, opened last Summer.  The architecture and space was designed by an architecture firms.  Room setup is arrange in more of a pod or island setup.  There is space designed for group work including a space called “the village” – which is a small house structure with a table.  The forms of the spaces vary from organic to more architectural in nature.

This unique design is intended to provide opportunities for both collaborative and independent work and to support curiosity and creativity.

When I was in grades 6-8 we were setup in “pods” – where 4 classes would be held in one large hexagonal room.  In the middle of the room were a set of couches where you could read, study or meet in groups.  I know that this middle area was one of my favorite areas to be in.  One problem with this setup is that you could often hear the other class across the room in the hexagonal space. I know that I would have loved being a more creative and collaborative atmosphere.  Too bad I didn’t grow up in Sweden – I would have loved the non-classroom atmosphere.

Image Source:
Vitra International Website

Links:

Vitra International Website