At the Make-O-Rama I showed my proposal and plans for what is going to be an irrigation system for the new garden beds on the East side of campus. My showcase included pictures of the garden beds along with my written proposal that included the purpose of this project, a budget, and future plans.
The picture above includes the multiple beds that have been built. The irrigation system I have been working on will allow for teachers and students to run the lines through the plants which will improve efficiency when working and taking care of the beds.
This picture includes the first page of the proposal I wrote for the building of the irrigation system. This proposal was a majority of the work I did. For this proposal I had to think about how this project would better the lives of the students while following the mission statement in some way. The proposal also included the budget, how many people would use it, as well as a way to go about the project if it were to be taken over by someone who did not understand it completely.
During the Make-O-Rama people reacted by saying it was a good idea, especially since it worked with what our school is about. Our mission statement includes living a healthy and well balanced lifestyle and this second area of gardens, as well as the greenhouse, do that.The irrigation system will allow for better efficiency meaning the students and teachers can take more time learning and problem solving instead of bothering with something so small like watering the plants.
Some advice I would give students starting a similar project would be to jump right on it. When it comes to creating and building something I feel like it’s more efficient to start prototyping and getting your hands dirty from the start. This allows you to get a better grip on what your end product is going to be. If you were to research and think too much before you could waste valuable time that could be spent actually getting your physical project done.
The most challenging part of this project was making sure I was on the same page as all of the teachers. Through out the semester many things changed with caused me to have to run around talking to multiple teachers about my project and what direction it was headed. I feel like this was the most challenging because of the constant change that happened in a short amount of time. The most fun part was getting to collaborate with other teachers and students towards the end because throughout most of the semester I was alone and it was nice to get new opinions and perspectives.
From here I plan to pass on my project to a group of juniors who will be seniors next year. These girls are currently in APES but have told me they plan to finish the project outside of their class over the summer. I am aware that they have put in a request for money to buy rainwater collectors that they intend on included in the plans. In my proposal I did not include the rainwater collectors but they have informed me that they intend on making a small change in regards to that. It is my hope as well as theirs that they will be able to build and create the irrigation system with the help of the foundation from this proposal.
At the beginning of the semester my plan was to create a misting system that would be placed outside of the gym so that anyone who suffered from a “Coach Cosgrove Workout” could walk through the mister and cool themselves down. Over time that plan changed and I decided to begin work on an irrigation system for the new garden beds. This project seemed like something that was needed more as well as more attainable for the deadline we had. As time went on senior year got hectic and I realized I would not get my materials in time to build the system as well as place it inside the new beds that were already up. After hearing that there was a group of current juniors who wanted to do something similar I decided to collaborate with them and then come up with a proposal. From all of this I would give my team (just me) a 90. I think I earned this grade because I was able to work through the different changes that I faced in the short amount of time in which they happened before the deadline. I’m excited to see what the group of girls will be able to do with my plans!
StarPathDesign 
I am currently taking Environmental Science, and as a project I had to learn about different irrigation practices that are used by different individuals. For example, Urban Roots, and our Ann Richards gardening club. I learned that for the most part, our garden are watered through the process of drip irritation. With this in mind I also had to propose an idea as to how we could improve the irrigation practices of our school. I was looking over your proposal and I honestly believe that you did a great job. You put a great amount of time and effort into figuring out what would best suit our gardens.
Your idea of passing down your project to the current juniors is great. A couple of juniors in my APES class have recently won money to change the ways in which we use our water. Perhaps you could work with them, or give your proposal to Ms.Mote.
-Dayanne Acosta
Overall I really liked your idea for the garden irrigation system! You explained your plan well and in a super organized and thorough fashion. Even though your team consisted of just you, you seemed very willing to listen to the ideas of upcoming juniors, such as adding a rainwater collection system.