The Coop Concept went on a couple of recent field trips!
First, they went to Chambers Elementary School and created garden beds and picnic tables for the kids to utilize. Then, The Coop Concept used the Buy Nothing Group to help put plants and seeds in the freshly made garden beds. The kids working with The Coop Concept learned various useful skills to take with them into the workforce. Ivana says, "The skill that I will bring to my future job is communication. I think with this program I learned to be patient as well as work and communicate with others." Communication is paramount to working effectively and efficiently, especially in a team setting. It is the basis of so many things, from connection, to collaboration, to understanding. If people do not communicate, nothing gets done. The kids learned valuable skills working with The Coop Concept that will serve them well in the working world.
The Coop Concept also had many guest speakers! A representative from Hudson Valley Credit Union named Kristen came and taught the kids about money, and financial literacy. Siobhan says "On Thursday, Kristen from the Hudson Valley Credit Union came in and talked to us about being smart with our money. She told us about the different account types, credit scores and how to get them up, the 50-30-20 rule and many other things. She told us about the difference in teen checking accounts, certificate accounts, and regular checking accounts." Financial literacy is essential to living a life that one can enjoy. It is important because it prepares one for the unseen expenses that life will bring.
Another guest speaker was Rob! He came to Chambers Elementary School twice, once to talk about the uses of AR technology, and the other time, to help create a sign for the garden, which says Clean Up After Your Dog. He helped teach the kids that technology can be useful in helping to achieve their goals. Additionally, the MASS Design group came to Chambers Elementary School to discuss the kids' ideas for a portion of the park. They also learned about Sojourner Truth.
One of the last guest speaker that The Coop Concept saw was Courtney, and she talked about the environment, specifically soil. Ivana says, "On Tuesday Courtney came to meet with us to talk about soil! A few things she talked about was that soil is a living thing. Different plants like different soil ph. Plants are either acidic or alkaline. We also got to feel different textures of soil like sandy, rocky, clay." The kids got to have hands-on learning about the environment and how to take care of it. Taking care of Earth's resources is critical, as Earth itself is not finite.
In the end, multiple guest speakers and field trips provided The Coop Concept's kids with vital skills to take with them into the workforce. One of our Fav's was Justin! He came with all the plants and soil from NYS Power Authority! He get's his own post in a few weeks. Check back soon for that.
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