2019 Clean Energy Art Challenge
Could you make a solar-powered band? SEEDS EcoSchool students did! Students as young as third graders worked together using small solar panels and motors to make gadgets that played musical instruments when placed in the sunshine. This was only one of many activities in our spring pilot Clean Energy Art Challenge for SEEDS EcoSchool students!
"Connecting art with STEM subjects is a great way to have a lot of fun. And learning that's fun is learning that sticks." Sarna Salzman, Executive Director
The purpose of this Clean Energy Art Challenge pilot was to see if we could provide hands-on learning experiences that inspire and empower youth to engage in the complex topics related to Energy. Through the lens of Clean Energy (Conservation + Efficiency + Renewable Technologies), we provided a multi-week series of STEM lessons and layered this with creative expressions that demonstrated and solidified what students learned.
In addition to the Solar Band, students across the region used a variety of other art mediums including sculptures that illustrate concepts like the visual light spectrum, and using photo-reactive paper to demonstrate how solar energy can be converted into chemical energy - and linking this process to the concept of photosynthesis.
Thanks to the Michigan Department of Education and to the Consumers Energy Foundation for making this learning possible!
2018 Art of Stewardship
The Art of Stewardship was a SEEDS EcoSchool program that promoted science plus art, focusing on eco-STEM. Thanks to the Worthington Family Foundation, Blackbird Arts, Inland Seas, the Michigan Department of Education, and the Grand Traverse Stewardship Initiative for helping us combine STEM, art, and a passion for ecosystem stewardship!
Watch the video below and see this amazing program in action!