LEARNSpark POD Solarium Learning Lab - An Earth SCHOOL Showcase
As the LA2050 award recipient, Earth SCHOOL by We Are Mother Earth will build the global premier Spark POD solarium learning center. This futuristic bubble POD is a multi-purpose outdoor garden classroom that models integrated climate action solutions for food, water, and energy in real time. Visually, it will reflect the collective imagination of a multi-stakeholder cooperative led by a youth council in proposed partnership with a pre-selected local high school, parks and recreation or pre-private land steward for public demonstration.
Please list the organizations collaborating on this proposal.
PyraPod Global, Freedom2Fit, Inc.
What is the primary issue area that your application will impact?
K-12 STEAM Education
In which areas of Los Angeles will you be directly working?
County of Los Angeles
In what stage of innovation is this project, program, or initiative?
Pilot or new project, program, or initiative
What is your understanding of the issue that you are seeking to address?
All existing solutions to climate change are isolated to solving one problem at a time. The Solaroof bubble-based Spark POD solarium learning centre is the only patented invention that offers a completely integrated solution to fresh food, clean water, and alternative fuel in a closed, controlled ecological environment (CCEE). With oil prices rising and famine approaching, it is a moral imperative to gift our youth the opportunity and challenge to see solutions in real life and to use school time to foster innovation through kinesthetic, design, process, and nature-based holistic education. Our families are suffering from disconnection and budgetary cuts to programs that spark creativity and community resilience. The Earth SCHOOL Spark POD demo incorporates all aspects of STEAM for K-12 but also gives parents, community members, universities, politicians, and global stakeholders the chance to see LA County become the official site for H.O.P.E. (health outcomes of positive experience).
Describe the project, program, or initiative this grant will support to address the issue.
The Earth SCHOOL is a POP-up (place of opportunity) program that can be administered in a public or private school, after-school program, park, or other local venue. The Earth SCHOOL works with accredited educators in alternative fields of gardening, parenting future leaders, yoga, art therapy and more. The Earth SCHOOL''s 'H2O' (Holistic Health Opportunities) collaborative community development curriculum can be delivered in a CORE school assembly, via 6-12 week units, or as an integrated year-long program. The Earth SCHOOL programming can be delivered without the Spark POD solarium, but with this grant, we would be able to pilot wrap around holistic health education (curriculum as 'software') with hands-on kinesthetic design and STEAM (regenerative bubble POD solarium classroom as 'hardware'). Together, they can revolutionize the way that learning institutions at all grade levels, including university and post-graduate can engage in incubator-style leadership and entrepreneurship, character building, teamwork, logistics and coordination, climate action, intergenerational relationship building, morality, wellness activities and more.
Describe how Los Angeles County will be different if your work is successful.
Imagine LA County being known as the place where it all changed. Where all the negative news was replaced with consistent innovative scientific discovery day after day. A place where young people were working together, avoiding the social pitfalls associated with boredom, drugs, or complex trauma because they're too busy creating something worthwhile that excites, ignites and inspires them to stay sober, show up for class, and work doing something they love. LA County is going to be known as the place where people contribute their excellence and unique genius, where nobody is left behind, where disabilities are superpowers and the only race that matters is the one to the solving the next problem together as a team (with some friendly competition). LA County is a global showcase for the world-changing regenerative POD system which adapts to any size from back Yard POD to industrial City POD. 36 school districts in Pakistan are watching the pilot and ready to deploy. All eyes on LA!
What evidence do you have that this project, program, or initiative is or will be successful, and how will you define and measure success?
Another problem to the current system is that if the measurements themselves are faulty, we might be getting really effective at doing really bad things to our bodies, each other, and the Earth! With fuel prices on the rise and inflation up 7.9% this past February alone, it’s time to consider new indicators of efficiency and thriving. We have been actively collecting existing alternative research methodologies for these indicators. For the EarthSCHOOL social-emotional and economic outcomes, we have been curating the WHO Quality of Life (QOL) tool, The Human Development Index (HDI), The Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP)'s Youth Thrive and Strengthening Families indicators (used already across 23 states) and our own 'Finding Your Win' technique w/ indicators for trauma-informed care. For the Spark POD solarium classroom, we have a sensor control that monitors carbon, atmosphere, etc. plus we will measure lbs. of food produced, jobs created, class attendance, and energy saved.
Approximately how many people will be impacted by this project, program, or initiative?
Direct Impact: 500
Indirect Impact: 7,000,000
Describe the specific role of the partner organization(s) in the project, program, or initiative.
Freedom2Fit Inc is the 501c3 fiscal sponsor and educatiol curriculum leader. They bring in accredited and proven holistic health educators such as Climate Smart Victory Gardens, Alchemy for Everyone and many others. They also provide all of the research necessary to support the validity of this grant application, the educatiol measurement tools, and a model for self-sustaining youth-led and family friendly fundraising for the EarthSCHOOL to live on. SolaRoof/PyraPOD Global are the technical partners for the Spark POD solarium classroom learning centre. They are providing 6 patents on technology, licensing, architectural plans, technical expertise, partnerships, accounting services, and more. All of these partners have been collaborating for several years now to prepare this pilot.