BUGS: Baltimore Urban Gardening with Students: Getting dirty at CJR

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Getting dirty at CJR

B.U.G.S. dug deep in the gardens at Commodore John Rogers on a warm day. No child was left inside.... as we weeded and plowed the beds. Many things were found: worms, bugs, nests, and soil!

2 comments:

parkerApril 18, 2012 at 3:26 AM
Childrens love to play and these all photos depict how much they are enjoying ..lovely pics.
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Online Learning ProgramsApril 25, 2012 at 8:27 AM
Really nice pics...
children love to gardening.

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What is BUGS?

The Baltimore Urban Gardening with Students (BUGS) Program of Living Classrooms Foundation works with children from under-served Baltimore City communities throughout the year with an after-school program as well as a summer program. The program's primary goal is to empower and inspire our children to develop academically, creatively, and socially.

The BUGS program serves 60 students from the Butchers Hill/Patterson Park/Fells Point community. Many of our students reside in public housing and low-income neighborhoods. These students have little access to green space and few extra-curricular activities available to them. The program engages youth in learning while providing them with a safe and healthy alternative to the streets.

BUGS is a national model program that uses activities such as cooking, gardening, creative arts and movement, and entrepreneurial projects to help increase academic performance in reading and math and improve student behavior. The program provides a dynamic learning environment at the Living Classrooms East Harbor campus, with access to vegetable and flower gardens planted by the students, and the only wetlands on Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Our 1:10 instructor/student ratio provides youth with the close attention they need to succeed socially and academically.

BUGS Staff

Michelle Koehler, Program Director.

Michelle is the new Program Director for the BUGS Program. Michelle came to Living Classrooms in 1996 and worked on our farm, shipboard, and outreach programs. She was also the After School Program Coordinator, Renaissance Summer Program Director, and Program Manager of the Land-based Department. Michelle graduated from Towson University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History.

Outside of work, Michelle enjoys spending time with her husband and two children. She also has a passion for traveling. She has been all over Europe, Central America, South America, and Mexico and has plans to continue her travels.

Algernon Campbell, Program Manager.
Mr. Algernon is originally from Savannah, GA. He is a graduate of Morehouse College with a B.A in Theatre and Drama as well as a graduate of the Certificate of Dance Program from the Ailey School. He has danced with the Dallas Black Dance Theatre for 4 seasons and for other renowned choreographers. He has danced nationally and internationally in such countries as Japan, Austria, and Zimbabwe. He has lived in many cities and now resides in Baltimore County. He is a professional dancer, teacher, and choreographer at the Morton Street Dance Center and Greater York Center for Dance Education.

Nicole Fiore, Dance and Movement.

Ms. Nikki is a Baltimore native. She has taught at The Arthur Murray School of Dance and Towson Dance Studio, and has competed and performed professionally in ballroom, salsa, and west coast swing dance. Nikki received a nursing degree from the Essex School of Health Professions. Her education included classes in childhood development and community health. She is excited to have the opportunity to teach children how to create a better future for themselves. Ms. Nikki currently dances with a group called the Guardians, whose focus is to bring dance back to the inner city. She can regularly be found doing street performances in and around Baltimore.

Martin Zang, Cooking and Nutrition.
Martin Zang is originally from Manchester, Michigan, a small town that barely could be seen on a map. He has recently graduated from Eastern Michigan University where he studied History and Political Science. Martin has always had a passion for cooking and healthy eating instilled in him by his Parents. He has worked in numerous restaurants in as many positions; this gave him the opportunity to learn more about food then just how to eat it. In his free time Martin likes to teach himself new recipes, have cookouts with friends, grow his own food, and do a little wood working.

Neta Scarpari, STEM.

Originally from Rosemount, Minnesota, Neta graduated from Kansas State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological and Agricultural Engineering. During her time at K-State, Neta’s favorite classes were microbiology, agronomy, and plant taxonomy and worked with two professors on soil and water quality experiments. Upon graduation, Neta moved to the East Coast and, eventually, to Baltimore County. She has worked at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Materials Management and, most recently, at the non-profit Education Based Latino Outreach in their Mi Segunda Casa after-school program. An avid rock climber, Neta can often be found at local rock climbing gyms and outdoor sites, such as Ilchester and Annapolis Rock. She is also a certified soccer referee and loves playing and watching “the beautiful game.”

Kat Freeman, Gardening and the Environment.

Kat attended Smith College in Northampton, MA where she majored in sociology and learned about everything from printmaking to South African film. During the last five years she has lived in Switzerland and Cameroon and loves learning about new places, meeting new people, and broadening her understanding of the world. During this time she also worked at the Pocono Environmental Center leading hikes, at the Fellowhip Farm in New York state growing vegetables, and at an organic family run orchard in MA. Baltimore is the first city Kat has called home and she enjoys the craziness of the city, biking through Druid Hill Park, snowballs, stoop sitting, and being creative with the BUGS students.

Kadija Ndiaye, Creative Art.

Kadija graduated from Morgan State University with a degree in Family and Consumer Sciences, her favorite classes were Art, Sewing and Urban Housing and Development.

Kadija has always been passionate about arts and crafts; during her junior year of college she shared her passions as an aftercare teacher at the Green School of Baltimore. During summer vacation you can find Kadija at Baltimore city libraries teaching arts and craft classes. During her free time she enjoys thrifting and DIY projects.

BUGS: Baltimore Urban Gardening with Students

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Getting dirty at CJR

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