Cybermaniacs Spruce Up Their School

Cybermania Hits the Sidewalk

Our STEM-in-Action plan involved implementing our eCYBERMISSION project at our school, Navy Elementary School in Fairfax, VA. Using a $4200 budget, we implemented our plan at our elementary school playground. The goal is to make the school playground more permeable so that children are able to play outside!!! Our plan is to make switchgrass gardens to soak up puddling from rainfall as well as demonstration gardens full of native plants, trees, and shrubs. While our goal is to increase permeability, we also want to educate the students about the how these plants can help the earth breathe again.

The above picture shows the impermeable areas near our former elementary school’s playground. (Navy Elementary ) We plan to make areas permeable through our Conservation landscape design project.

Below is the description on each area.

-       Area 1  (34 x 8 ft) - WALKWAY

-       Areas 2 (32 x 8 ft) and 3 (21.5 x 8 ft) - SWITCHGRASS GARDENS`

-       Areas 4 (35.5 x 9 ft) and 5 (17 x 9 ft) - DEMONSTRATION GARDENS

-       Area 6 (8 x 5 ft) - REGRADE NEAR DRAIN (Paid for by FCPS)

A lot has happened since we received the STEM-in-Action Grant in August, 2017. For example, Navy Elementary School finalized the initial plans for the track and installed it in the field. The previous track they installed allowed us to narrow our focus and work solely on the playground and the surrounding walkway.  We made some adjustments to our initial plan and these pictures illustrate the problem areas where we will focus our project. We explored some affordable options for landscaping labor and materials costs, and finally sent our plan to the principle of Navy Elementary, who then sent it to Fairfax County for approval.

We’ve received approval from Fairfax County Public Schools and began the fieldwork portion of our project during planting season in mid-April. Our contractor will provide some labor and transportation for materials. As a team, we will make signs for the demonstration garden and we a contractor will help us with the labor and transportation of materials. Here is a diagram of our plans.

Above is our landscape plan drafted by Julia Udani from the Soil & Water Conservation District

As we work through this project, we shared information about our project with the head of the Soil and Water Conservation District, Elaine Tholen. She asked to see our future plans for our project. She is helping us spread the word in the community. At Navy Elementary we raised awareness in the community through social media and google forms.  Rachel Carson, our new school, has also been notified about our project and we plan to speak with the school’s eco leader Mr. Treakle.

As our project develops, we find that our budget is a challenge. When we initially developed the budget for this project, we had eight problem areas that we were going to solve. However, after getting quotes from our landscaper, Dave Freeman, as well as a few others, the total cost exceeded our budget of $4200. We had to narrow our focus to select areas. To help relieve some of the budget constraints, we have reached out to Fairfax County Public Schools (FCSPS) and asked for funds to help our project. We’re working through these challenges as a team so that we can get this project completed in time for students to enjoy it in the upcoming school year!

Team Cybermaniacs