Alicia Eberle Project 2023
Background
I believe in our responsibility as global citizens, and the impact we have on the planet. Last year, I had
the opportunity to travel to Campos dos Goytacazes, a city in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to visit the
CENSA school. There I learned about the different project’s students are working on, focused on sustainability
and the environment, from kindergarten through high school. I also learned about a very successful project
where students developed a pencil from recycled materials. This pencil incorporates a seed of the plant
Crotalaria, that helps to combat the proliferation of the mosquito responsible for the spread of dengue, an
endemic disease in Brazil. Students use the pencil, and when it is time, they plant what is left of it, that will
originate the tree. As a result of this visit and research, I could provide a presentation to teachers to outline the
importance of student choice in developing projects to solve problems they have identified. Subsequently,
some BGA ESL classes are now connected with an international school, and both institutions are working
collaboratively with Harvard University on projects to make the planet a greener, healthier place for us all.
Description of the project
For this project, I will volunteer with International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ) to learn about eco-agriculture
conservation in Guatemala. We will gain the experience of working on a coffee or macadamia nut farm,
helping local farmers with their day-to-day operations which are designed with sustainability, economic
development, and the environment in mind. As a volunteer, I will learn about the environment and climate
change and how we can promote sustainable solutions for this problem and bring them back to the classroom
and the community. This experience directly aligns with the United Nations Sustainable development goal #13:
Climate Action: “Climate change affects everyone, everywhere. 2010 - 2020 was the warmest decade ever
recorded and Carbon Dioxide levels have risen to an all-time high. In order to keep global temperatures below
the Paris Agreement’s 2-degree Celsius limit, we must take action to educate communities, conserve nature and
promote sustainable solutions.” In order to combat global warming, it is a necessary effort of all parts of
society. Students need to be able to participate in discussions about climate and environment and how current
practices have an impact on their lives now and in the future. It is imperative for students to gain knowledge of
efforts that have been made, so that they can brainstorm and develop new ways to create sustainable farming
and agriculture.
Through this project, I will have learned about and participated in a variety of aspects of sustainable
farming, including coffee picking, harvesting beans, cleaning, and clearing fields of debris and weeds, planting
new products, roasting beans, packaging products, marketing to the community, and environmental restoration
efforts. In addition, I will understand the similarities and differences of sustainable farming compared to
traditional methods and how both impact the environment.
Goals
More and more we are discussing what it means to combat climate change with our students in the
classroom; however, we rarely have first-hand knowledge and experience of how this can be done in
communities around the world. By the end of the experience, I will have learned the impact of farming on the
climate and how sustainable farming is aligned with the Paris agreement of preventing temperatures to
increase beyond 2-degrees Celsius in relation to the pre-industrial era (preferably no more than 1.5 ℃). In
addition, I will know how Guatemalan farmers are educating the community to be a part of sustainable farming
in order to protect the environment. I will be able to bring this knowledge back to my school community, as
students will learn about the importance of sustainable farming and its impact on the environment. They will
have the opportunity to research the pros and cons of sustainable farming in order to participate in debates and
write persuasive arguments on why consumers should preferably purchase items grown in a sustainable
fashion. Most of the students in my classroom are from Central America, some specifically from Guatemala,
and will have a personal interest in this work, due to the direct connection to their lives.
Timeline
I will travel to Guatemala at the beginning of July 2023 through the volunteer program International
Volunteer HQ. This is a one-week program where participants will have access to farmers on nut and coffee
farms. During the time when I am not actively working on the farm, I will have the opportunity to learn from
the IVHQ local team in Antigua about sustainable farming and how it has had a positive impact on farmers, and
the local community.
Rationale
I am interested in this project for several reasons. Now, more than ever, it is vital to teach our students
about the importance of sustainable farming since it has a direct impact on us all. In the near future, our
students will be independent and will shop for products on their own, and will need to understand what it means
when a package is labeled with a ‘sustainable eco-friendly’ label. Students need to know that their choices of
purchasing products including, but not limited to, coffee or nuts extends beyond their personal selection and has
a direct impact on the planet and humanity. Since most of my students are natives from Central America, they
will have a deeper appreciation of learning about how these farmers are changing their practices in order to help
reduce climate change. They will see how farmers in Guatemala are helping to change the trajectory of their
communities. In our ESL classes at BGA, students will have the opportunity to conduct independent research
on sustainable farming, draw conclusions, and develop new ideas of how they can contribute to sustainable
practices from both perspectives, that of the farmers and that of the consumers.
Reporting
I will present my findings to the staff of Boston Green Academy through a presentation at a staff
meeting within the first two months of the school year. I will create an engaging PowerPoint presentation
exhibiting the volunteer work, research, findings, and travels. I will also bring back artifacts to share with the
staff members to bring the experience to life. In addition, I will apply the concepts and share the ideas in the
classroom based on learnings from the travel. Staff members will be invited to observe students implementing
learning from this project in their education.