Seedfolks
by
Paul Fleischman
Delores Thomas
Introduction
The
roots of community gardens run deep.
Gardens are oases of vegetables, fruits, flowers and tranquility in
neighborhoods where concrete otherwise rules.
They are the sites for picnics,
cookouts, birthday party and other community gatherings and are special places
for residents of all ages, with and without green thumbs. Community gardens create a network of green
spaces in the city in an unprecedented way.
The
The NYRP
field workforce is comprised of professional horticulturists, urban planners,
and Americorp members working hand-in-hand with the NYRP staff.
NYRP works with local residents and
community organizations to develop community gardens. Their goal is to enliven these spaces with
programming that is in keeping with the needs of the neighborhood. With thoughtful planning, innovative design,
and attentive programming, the ultimate objective is that NYRP’s community
gardens become loving renovated space
Walton high
school students are required to do community services, as part of their high
school requirements for their diploma.
The Americorp organization is a national and community service
organization. Americorp makes a
difference in people’s lives by responding to disasters, preserving the
environment and building affordable homes.
Members get uniforms, training, lodging, meals, health benefits and a
living allowance. Upon completion of the 10-month program, an individual will
receive nearly $5000 to help pay for college.
This is an opportunity for a Walton student to receive hands-on
experience and an opportunity to figure out what he/she would like to do with
their future. You as students of Walton HS should come with a new policy to
involve more students in the development of community gardens.
GOOD LUCK IN YOUR WORK!!!!!!!!!
Task
Being inspired by the story Seedfolks, you have to
complete your project on
Each group will have a specific task based on the
Public Policy Analyst steps. At the end you should have a 100 words essay about
the existing policy and what you have found in your research about green parks
in your communities.
Process
You will use the five steps of TIPS PPA. Each group
will analyze the problem and find solutions. At the end a jury will accept the
best new policy that will help students of Walton HS to get involved in this
green program for their communities.
During this step you should analyze the
existing policy about green parks in your community. If you do not have any
information you can contact agencies and corporations such as Americorp that
cover gardens, horticultures and parks. They will give you the necessary
information about parks in your community.
Present evidence that a problem exists. Be
as specific as possible and cite at least one source of data.
Identifying the
causes of the problem
Briefly list
several underlying factors that contribute to the problem that you have
identified (support these factors
with evidence). Use the following questions to undergo through step 3 of
PPA and book’s analysis.
1.
How did the community garden get started?
2.
Who took the first step in getting the lot cleaned up?
3.
Why did these people contribute to the community
garden?
4.
Where was the community garden located?
5.
Who watched over the garden?
6.
What made the garden so unique?
Ø
Developing public
policy solutions
A
public policy must include a specific type of government action to reach the
public policy goal. Each group will propose at least three new/original
public policy alternatives. Be sure that all of your public policy alternatives
are at the same geopolitical level as your social problem. Each alternative
must specify the actual government or government agency that will carry out the
proposed action. List the proposal that your group considers the most promising
first.
Each student will be expected to do an investigation
on how to start a community garden in their community or any available
community in the
Students should explore the following questions:
1.
How do you locate a vacant lot?
2.
How do you get a vacant lot cleaned up?
3.
Where would you get the tools to clean up the lot?
4.
Who would be responsible for the upkeep of the garden?
5.
What type of garden would you like for your community?
Vegetable, flower or a sitting park?
6.
Do you need a permit to start a community garden?
7.
Where do you go to get the permit?
v Selecting the best public policy solution
Students will choose the most effective policy shown
in your group’s essays. Then they will implement that policy to involve as many
Walton students as they can in the garden programs around the city, which will
be considered community service.
Resources
www.amunit.
Com/show_listings.asp?
www.moregardens.org/?Q=node/16
www.gardenmosaics.cornell.edu/pgs/our
gardens/nyc/nyc.htm
Conclusion
The Americorp organization is a national and community service organization. Americorp makes a difference in people’s lives by responding to disasters, preserving the environment and building affordable homes. Your new policy is helping students of Walton HS to receive the everyday experience and to get the profit from the opportunities that big organizations such as Americorp offer to citizens.
Evaluation
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