4-H Urban Agriculture STEM Initiative Rothenberg Preparatory Academy

OSU Extension, Hamilton County

Volume 1 Issue 1: April 25, 2014

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Letter from the Program Manager Nikaylas Chickens 4-H Urban Agriculture- Rothenberg Preparatory Academy Advisory Council The Importance of Agri-STEM Data Collected Upcoming Lessons Summer Jobs Community Events Photo Gallery- Examples of Student Work

Letter from the Program Manager The old adage remains true, March rolled in like a lion and out like a lamb. This is true of our weather and my first few weeks as the Program Manager for this new 4-H Urban Agriculture Initiative at Rothenberg Preparatory Academy. Starting a new program is scary. I wondered; will people be supportive, will anyone understand what I am supposed to do, is what I am supposed to do going to meet the needs of the consumers; is what I am doing meeting my needs? As I have navigated these murky waters I have discovered that a strong program can meet anyones needs. I began as the Program Manager on March 10th. My first few weeks were filled with a high degree of energy and excitement. First, I was welcomed by Ohio State University and Hamilton County Extension. Second I became familiar with the community at Rothenberg Preparatory Academy and Over-the-Rhine. And finally, I was able to set up the Science Lab at Rothenberg for experiments and student involvement. The 4-H Urban Agriculture STEM program is an Ohio Legislative Initiative between Ohio

State University Extension and the Cincinnati Public School District. This pilot partnership will result in a 4-H Agri-Science STEM program at the Rothenberg Preparatory Academy with three main objectives: Provide Agri-Science STEM classroom instruction across the K-6 curriculum; organize and conduct an afterschool 4H community club program; engage community partners and volunteers in support of the in-school and afterschool components of the program. The ultimate goal of this K-6 program is to increase the skilled workforce entering into the field of Agri-Science, to increase the awareness of participating students of the interrelationships among AgriScience and potential careers, and to positively impact student retention rates. Through the 4-H Urban Agriculture STEM initiative at Rothenberg Preparatory Academy students have been exposed to hand on learning. To begin, the students have started learning about chick incubation. The students at Rothenberg have been diligently assisting as we incubate 24 eggs. More important than whether the eggs hatch or not, the students have been exposed to the life cycle and how to care of another living organism. The students have been able to identify the role they currently plan in the food system, and they have been able to further investigate what happens to a baby chick in the eggs. Its obvious that the students are excited about the eggs and their hatching. Several students a day ask if any of the eggs hatched early. It is with great excitement that I serve at the Program Manager for this exciting new initiative. It is my hope that this program can grow into a strong program that provides teachers with an opportunity for their students to engage in experiential learning- in their school. Reflecting on my first few weeks I can already see how this program is positively contributing to the community of Rothenberg and soon to the community of Over-the-Rhine. Enthusiastically,

Tony Staubach, Program Manager- 4-H Youth Development Return to Top Nikayla By Tony Staubach, and the students of Rothenberg Preparatory Academy Nikayla is a fictitious 3rd grade student who is guiding our students through a life of Agriculture, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Along with her cousin DiMiko, Nikayla is discovering how she can help feed the world. So far the students have learned about Nikaylas life as the daughter or Urban Farmers. The students have been submitting short articles about Nikayla and helping the 4-H Urban Ag Initiative develop Nikaylas personality. Below youll find the introductory story Nikaylas Chickens which taught the students some basic information about raising and incubating chickens. Nikaylas Chickens

Nikayla is just like every other girl in her class. She likes riding bikes and watching Sponge Bob Square Pants after school. But something makes Nikayla different from everyone else. Nikaylas parents are Urban Farmers. Nikaylas mom and dad started a community garden four years ago. They grow fresh lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes and they raise chickens. Raising chickens in the city isnt easy, but its not harder than taking good care of another pet. The only thing is that chickens need to live outside. The chickens live in a chicken coop. Nikayla and her parents painted their chicken coop red, but made it out of a recycled play house Nikayla used when she was a little girl. Her parents had to put a fense around the coop because the neighbors and hawks hurt the chickens. While free range chickens are happier, the neighborhood needed to get used to having chickens. Nikayas chores include feeding the chickens and taking care of the chicken coop. Since her parents made the coop out of an old play house, Nikayla is a great size to go in and clean. The chicken coop is 5 feet by 5 feet, Nikayas parents have 5 hens. They dont have a rooster because they like to eat the eggs that the hens lay. Inside the coop the chickens build nests in nesting boxes. Inside the boxes the hens lay about an egg a day. Some weeks Nikayla and her family have 35 eggs, they sell the extras to neighbors. Nikayla has a big sister in high school and two little brothers in preschool. Her brothers help her feed and give the chickens water every day before and after school. The chickens eat corn and other vegetables, in the summer they use the left over vegetables from the garden to feed the chickens. Chickens also like to eat bugs which helps keep the garden pests free. Nikayla helps her big sister clean the chicken coop ever week. Cleaning the chicken coop isnt hard but it can be dangerous. Chickens use the coop as a bathroom so every week they have to clean the whole coop and shovel out all of the chicken droppings. They dont want the chickens to live in the dirty habitat because that could contaminate the eggs. Nikayla helps her sister use a shovel and clean the floor of the coop and the nesting boxes. It might be a lot of work to keep chickens, but Nikayla likes to get up early every morning and walk out to the chicken coop and pick up the eggs. Some mornings the eggs are shaped like normal eggs, but sometimes she gets eggs that are misshapen. Some are more like an oval and some are almost like a rectangle. Once a year Nikaylas parents ask a local hatchery for 12 fertilized eggs so that they can hatch some chicks. They keep one or two chicks and donate the rest to a farm outside the city. Chickens stop laying eggs after about 4 years. Thats when Nikaylas parents send a chicken off for processing. Once the chicken is processed it is turned into the chicken we eat. Nikaylas family is sad to see the chicken go, but they knew that they had to send off the hen. It had outlived its usefulness and was getting sick and tired. Before

the family eats dinner provided by their home grown chicken they give thanks and reflect on the circle of life. But when one chicken is sent off for processing another baby chick gets to stay and grow up. It takes 21 days to hatch the egg. Once the egg is hatched the chicken lives in a small brooder with other baby chicks. In the brooder they learn about how to get along and feed themselves. After 60 days the baby chick is ready to live with the adult chickens. Return to Top Advisory Council- Open Invitation Are you looking to make a difference in the lives of Youth in Cincinnati? Do you want to assist in providing students with understanding and passion for urban agriculture and food systems? Will you be able to attend a meeting every other month? If so, we are looking for some dedicated community members to be a part of the Ohio State 4-H Urban Agriculture Initiative at Rothenberg Preparatory Academy in Over the Rhine. Members are expected to attend at least 50% of the meetings. Members are asked to provide outreach and networking support to the program. Members are asked to provide their ideas and expertise. For more information email: Tony Staubach, Program Manager 4-H Youth Development Staubach.9@osu.edu Return to Top The Importantce Of Agri-STEM Education By Tony Staubach Today education is about data collection, educational attainment and quantifiable outcomes. It is not a bad thing, but education today does not provide as much time for teachers to engage in hands on learning with the students. Experiential learning is essential to the success of our students as productive adults. Identifying the upward trend in careers in agriculuture and the food system, Ohio State University, thorugh a legislative act sponsored by Representative Buchy in the 84 th District of Ohio, has created the 4-H Urban Agricutlure Initiaive. There are two programs currently running, one in Cleveland and one in Cincinnati. The two programs provide students at urban schools with experimential education as it relates to agricutlure and the food system.

The programs serve as community partners with the school district to ensure that the teachers at one school are provided with the necessary expertise and tools so that students can apply what they are learning in the classroom. This model of engagement is not new, nor is it new for community agencies to work directly with school districts. However, at a time when education is becoming data driven and budgets are constantly being scrutinized, community partners can enter the picutre and provide the experiential learning that is no longer realistic for a school district. Experiential Learning is the cornerstone for job readiness. It is the application of what has been learned in the classroom to real life experiences. Sometimes this means engaging in service to our communities (Service-Learning), sometimes this means taking an unpaid -or paid- position while in school (Internships), or sometimes this means acting out experiences in a real life setting as through the students were actually fulfilling a position making a meaningful connection to classroom learning (Practicum). In all dimentions the studetns are applying what they have learned. In the primary grades served by the 4-H Urban Agricutlure Initiative the students are exposed to opportunities where they play scientists. The students actively engage in research similar to that of a professional in the Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) fields as it relates to Agricutlure. The experience with Experiential Learning at Cincinnati Public Schools Rothenberg Preparatory Academy has been successful. Students initially assisted with incubating and hatching eggs. The students enjoyed their experience and applied concepts that they learned in the classroom. Students explored the composition of the eggs, identified how they embryo would turn into a chick, utilized multiple means to identify the differneces between eggs and explored how one egg could be fertized while another is not fertilized. While hard data has not yet been collected the qualitiative data is beginning to reveal that students have a lot to learn about the food system. When asked to assist with writing a story about a ficticious character, a 3 rd grade girl named Nikayla, the students idicated that her favorite food was McDonalds and Hot Fries. While not an unexpected response, the goal is that the students learn more and identify actual food items, or healthy food items, and Nikaylas favorite. Experiential Leanring is an importance process that has not been overlooked by education, but has had to take a back seat to the data driven lifestyle that school administrators and teachers are forced to play, through the use of community partnerships, like the Ohio State University 4-H Urban Agricutlure Iniative, schools can begin to provide students with another method of hands on experiences. Return to Top Data Collected (March 15-April 15 Numbers) Instances of Students Receiving Lessons: Approximately 240 Students Total Number of Individual Students Receiving Lessons: 180 Students Total Number of Lessons Provided: 30 Lessons

Lesson Topics: Unit: Chick Quest 1.) Where did our eggs come from? 2.) What is going on inside our eggs? 3.) Egg observations and measurements. 4.) How does the chick grow in the egg? Return to Top Upcoming lessons Breads of the World- Students will make bread and identify how making healthy bread can feed the world. * Summer Curriculum Fishy Science- Students will experiment with taking care of fish, identify how fish are farmed and the dangers of overfishing. Students will identify how hydroponics and resource conservation can assist with reducing food costs. Summer Non-Profit Programming- Agencies in Over-the-Rhine are encouraged to contact Tony Staubach, Staubach.9@osu.edu to schedule lessons for the youth they serve between the months of July and August. Return to Top Summer Job Position Title: Temporary Summer Student Assistant Program Area: 4-H Youth Development Location: Hamilton County OSU Extension Headquarters: Cincinnati Job Overview: Assist Program Manager with the 4-H Urban Ag Initiative Summer Program at Rothenberg Preparatory Academy in Cincinnati. Provide instruction during the summer school program, 2 summer camps, and presentations with Over-The-Rhine agencies as well as independent projects.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES % Of Time 75% Assist in providing Agriculture, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math instruction during Rothenberg's June Fifth Quarter Program. Assist in July and August with instruction and guidance during at least two summer camps. Assist with providing periodic programming to agencies in Over the Rhine and Cincinnati. Research potential lessons, draft lesson plans and submit proposals for lessons and necessary materials. 20% Work on completing individual projects which may include; producing a newsletter; engaging in a social networking campaign; plan and execute events; assist in developing a curriculum plan for the school year; build relationships with agencies and individuals in Over-The-Rhine (attracting volunteers and new partners); or

constructing exhibits around Urban Gardening/Agriculture. 5% Participate in team meetings, fill out a weekly reflection report, log worked hours, submit lesson plans weekly and other duties as assigned.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS Experience or knowledge of working with urban youth An interest in developing relationships with community agencies A positive attitude Excellent oral, written and communication/presentation skills An experience or understanding of urban agriculture, community gardening or community development. Successful applicants must be able to work with a dynamic and diverse team of 3 students, several volunteers, the Program Manager and the Hamilton County Extension Staff. DIRECT SUPERVISOR: Tony Staubach Staubach.9@osu.edu EMAIL: Return to Top Community Events: Secret Lives of Good Garden Bugs & Buckeye Lady Beetle Blitz Volunteer Round-up May 16, 2014 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Training Program April 28, 2014 from 6:00-9:00PM Mother's Day Pancake Breakfast to benefit 4-H May 10, 2014 8:30-11:00 AM Hamilton/Clermont Co. 4-H Camp Jun 06, 2014 12:00 PM- Jun 10, 2014 01:00 PM Hamilton County 4-H Community Fair Jul 09, 2014 04:00 PM- Jul 12, 2014 11:55 PM Harvest Home Fair Sep 04, 2014 06:00 PM- Sep 07, 2014 11:00 PM State Special Needs 4-H Camp 2014 Jun 13, 2014 05:00 PM- Jun 15, 2014 11:30 AM Return to Top

2014, The Ohio State University- 4-H Urban Agriculture Initiative, Rothenberg Preparatory Academy 241 E. Clifton Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513-946-8975 l Fax: 513-722-6126 l Contact

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