The process of completing the CAP class action project at New Vista High School, mirrors the Cycle of Hope from the Better World Handbook. The first step is Finding out about a problem. My students hear about environmental problems through the current events that I bring to class every day as well as the current events they bring in as part of their class participation. In this case, the students found out about the I-300 initiative that was passed in Denver this past fall that required specific new buildings to make a percentage of their roof into a green roof. We specifically focused on the fact that the initiative was proposed by a small group of people and passed despite an overwhelming amount of money and power put forth by the opposition. This was one of the current events the students talked about beyond the day it was presented.

The second step is Wanting to do something to help. This quarter in particular, my students were always looking for ways they could make a difference and were really looking forward to the action project. During a social barometer activity where we reviewed past action projects for their relevance and impact, the students kept saying that they wanted to ensure they did a project that could really change something.

In the third step, Seeking out quality information about the problem, the students went to Casey Middle school to look at their green roof in person, and met with Andy Creath, founder and owner of Green Roofs Colorado who was one of the presenters at the Green Schools Conference this past spring.

Discovering practical options for action is always the most difficult step for students. They only have two to two and a half weeks of actual in class work on a project, so here, students have to learn about scope and scale. This is where the subsequent step of Acting in line with your values meet reality, and students learn that practical options may not be as big as they want but are an important first step on a road to a lifetime of action and activism. Their passion and desire to make a difference, especially for this group, was evident throughout the class. I will go out of order on the steps here and share that one of the biggest lessons my students learn each quarter is Recognizing you can’t do everything but they always come away with the notion that they can Create a vision of a better world based on [their] values.

This passion can best be expressed through the students own words in reflection papers they wrote as part of evaluating their experiences.

“For this action project, we got to petition and start to create green roofs for New Vista, hoping to expand the green roof epidemic across BVSD and [the city of] Boulder. This changed my views in many ways. I got to be exposed to the already working community of activists and general people that were already involved in making Boulder more green already…The project opened my eyes to the political realm around me regarding the environment, and how there is controversy over the smallest things. An example of this is when I was looking at the opposing arguments for the I-300 [green roof proposal] in Denver…It’s just interesting to see people that aren’t willing to help the environment in order to make money, despite that helping the environment can save them money and possibly raise their profits.” R.K.

“The action project made me realize that my role in the world and the environment around me is much bigger than I thought. Being a high school student, my ideas and opinions are shot down because we are “too young to understand: and other excuses like that. This project helped me break through that barrier because especially when we got approved to create the green roof for New Vista…My role as a high schooler is much bigger than even some adults because we are the future, we are the ones having to fix the mistakes of past generations, and we are the ones revolutionizing the planet. This project just taught me about the significance of my own role in the community.” R.K.

“I’ve learned about green roofs and the benefits of green roofs, and I have learned a lot more about myself during this quarter. As a teenager, I always knew that I could speak up about things that I am passionate about but I never have…I learned how to take a lead role in the class while also giving other people space to share their ideas”. L.A.

“Before these projects, I was mostly closed off from news concerning current events in environmentalism and elsewhere, but the projects we had in this class opened my eyes to the surprisingly large amount of activism that’s going on to fix these problems. Our ability to ensure such a large improvement for the community made me feel like for once I was able to make a difference, and contribute to this massive movement”. E.H.

“I think it’s amazing that as a school, we even have the opportunity to take a class like this, let alone be able to do an action project that creates lasting change…This project makes me realize that I am more capable of doing things than I thought.” E.L.

“This project was very effective in teaching new things that I can use in my future”. B.T.

A big thank you to Andy Creath & Green Roofs Colorado!

See more photos from their project here!

Written by CAP Instructor Amy Kopkin Atkins with input from CAP students