Environmental Science Blog Connects Students Abroad

During 2015, a collaboration was launched between the Albuquerque Academy in Albuquerque, NM, the Sur Baher Girls School in East Jerusalem, and WRAP. Teachers and their students worked together to develop a joint blog, plant4peace, to link the environmental clubs at the Academy and Sur Baher. Led by teachers Karen Temple Beamish from Albuquerque Academy and Zoubaida Salman from Sur Baher, the blog allows the students to share pictures and stories of their environmental projects.

At Sur Baher Girls School, the environmental club has been working on recycling, utilizing their rainwater harvesting system, and maintaining an herb garden, from which they create various environmentally friendly products to sell. At Albuquerque Academy, the environmental club has been exploring the local environment and tending their own garden, where they have planted spinach, lettuce, turnips, radishes, and other vegetables. The goal of the plant4peace blog is to allow students to share their experiences and what they learn about the environment around them, as well as build a meaningful connection between the schools, teachers, and the middle school students. WRAP’s role, led by volunteer Margaret Ferrato, is to assist in managing and maintaining the blog and arranging for timely translations. In 2016, the project partners will work to strengthen peer-to-peer interactions by linking students individually or in small groups.