Amanda Schaeffer

The sustainable growing system installed at the Highland Youth Garden.

Creativity, critical thinking, and collective problem-solving are the cornerstones of my Art and Ecology class at the Hilliard City Schools Innovative Learning Hub. Through student agency, with a focus on action and experiential learning, my goal is to make learning come alive for students so they can become better thinkers, knowers, and doers.

Interdisciplinary Connections
My Art and Ecology class connects art-making, environmental issues, and community to create authentic learning experiences. This innovative approach to learning encourages students to see the interconnectedness of knowledge and apply their learning in new and relevant ways.

Mallory K., grade eight, with her felted art.

I received a TeachArtsOhio grant through the Ohio Arts Council, which allowed sustainable fashion designer Celeste Malvar-Stewart to spend four weeks in our classroom as an artist-in-residence. During her residency, students, staff, and community participated in the Seeds of Change project.

A Meaningful Design Challenge
The Seeds of Change project challenged students to design a sustainable growing system for the Highland Youth Garden in Hilltop, Ohio. The system had to be functional for the garden’s needs while also making a positive impact on the Hilltop community.
The Hilltop community is a food desert, with many residents experiencing high levels of food insecurity and homelessness. Students were to use their designs to consider ways that our communities could work together to find sustainable solutions for food insecurity and bring public art to the Hilltop community.

Sustainable Fibers
Students researched sustainable materials to use for the growing system. Through Malvar-Stewart’s talks and expertise, they discovered that sheep and alpaca fibers are one of the most sustainable ways to create textiles. When felted, these fibers are naturally waterproof, heat resistant, cold resistant, durable, and fire retardant.

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