Back to BUGS!

The BUGS 2016-2017 academic year is off to a great start! We have some new faces among both the staff and the students, and have enjoyed getting to know everyone for these first 2 weeks. The Living Classrooms East Harbor Campus feels back to normal again now that we have our 60 BUGS kids running around it every afternoon!

In gardening class, we have gotten back into the swing of things with our garden jobs--the Butterflies have been taking great care of the chickens, worms, compost, and garden.

Brittany harvesting lavender to dry over the winter

Micah & Nyjirah getting to know our  BUGS worms in the greenhouse

We have also introduced the BUGS election! This year, in  honor of our US Presidential Election, each group is going to elect a representative to run in the general election in  November to be President & Vice President of BUGS. The President and Vice President will appoint a committee who, with the BUGS staff, will share in the responsibility of making decisions in the program. 

The Butterflies gave speeches telling their classmates why they felt they should be the vice presidential candidate representing their group. The girls did a great job preparing for and delivering their speeches. After the speeches, we voted and declared Dennia the winner! In November, Dennia will face off against the representative from the grasshoppers that we elect next week. In the mean time, the Butterflies have taken on jobs--campaign managers, PR reps, journalists, polling reporters, and canvassers--that they will carry out until the election on November 11.

Destiny giving her speech

Shayla giving her speech

Madison choosing who she will vote for 

The girls were so excited for Dennia when she was announced the winner!

We got to work making signs to help elect Dennia to VP of BUGS

During this past summer program BUGS students worked on beautifying the raised garden beds in the front of the East Harbor Campus. The process was successful with the help of Morgan Stanley volunteers. The volunteers helped to sand and prime the flower for the students to paint their designs.

Throughout the summer the students worked on designs inspired by the landscape around the campus and their imaginations. We even took a few design trips on the water taxi to the Under Armor factory for inspiration.

During the last week of camp BUGS students got to work with Guest artist Alexis Mena. Alexis is a muralist, visual artist and teaching artist born and raised in Brooklyn, New York.  Mr. Mena and the students collaborated to bring the designs to life on the bed.

                 

                                  The Flower Beds after Morgan Stanley Volunteers visited!

                               Idea Boards, used for when students had a creativity block.

                          Alexis began the day by doing some kundalini yoga with the kids. 

                                          Summer and Ms. Ronnie working with stencils.

                                               Gabriel working on what will be a building.

                                              Guest artist Alexis Mena with Nyjirah.

                           BUGS students and Alexis Mena, after a great day of working together!