Engineering and Art for Haiti Orphanage School

We just wanted to follow up with all of our donors.  Thank you so much for your support!  We fell a little short of our financial goal ($1510 out of $1800), but we were still able to complete almost all of the projects and lessons we planned.

We bought a Raspberry Shake Seismometer. Beth and Dan did lessons about materials science and earthquakes.  The students have already learned a great deal about earthquakes.  Dan installed the online seismometer in the school’s office.  He got it configured, but had some trouble getting it on the worldwide seismometer network due to power and internet outages.  We hope to have it back online very soon.

With the help of many hands, Dan cleared out the remnants of the old garden, leveled the plot, and built a brand new 17’ x 21’ garden enclosure out of PVC pipe and chicken wire.  He also built a composter and a rain barrel system. Your donations helped fund purchasing the tools needed to build the garden and the materials we bought in Haiti (PVC, chicken wire, lumber, etc). The enclosure should now keep out the feral cats and rats the live around the orphanage. The school is working to procure more used tires to hold soil.  

Between the three of us, we took 14 pieces of luggage (nearly 600 pounds!)  Despite the State Department’s Level 4 “Do Not Travel” warning, we had no problems when we were there and felt very safe. In addition to the six Rubbermaid tubs we brought full of art, sewing and science supplies, we needed a longer, skinnier piece of luggage to hold the telescope, the level, drain pipe, hard-to-get hardware items, and a large canvas paint tarp rolled around everything to protect it. We brought the paint tarp to make a slip cover for an aging sofa, as the school’s director had included this on a list of possible sewing projects. The students successfully created a slip cover with a little guidance.

Chris brought canvas tote bags for all of the students.  She taught them a variety of printing techniques and the students created their own designs to customize their bags.  Students also learned how to fuse plastic shopping bags together to make heavy plastic.  Students then used this plastic to make pencil pouches, purses, bags, and food wrappers. Thanks for helping us buy the irons for this project.

Using paper scraps and cardboard, students also learned how to make recycled paper. After grinding the paper in a blender, students used plastic cups as forms and covered them with the paper pulp.  When dried, these paper cups will be used as biodegradable starter pots for the garden plants. You provided the blender for the paper project.

Part of our luggage included three sewing machines, fabric, and t-shirts.  Beth taught students basic pattern making and along with Chris, taught students how to use the sewing machines. Many of the students designed their own clothes using the fabric and repurposed t-shirts.  Students also made some replacement cushion covers for some of the furniture at the mission.

Other art projects including drawing, water color with crayon resist, and creating “monsters” out of stretchy gloves with the youngest students.  Chris worked one-on-one with many of the older students giving them ideas on how to view the world differently to broaden their art.

Beth taught the nannies how to use the sewing machines and they all had a great time designing skirts.  Beth also taught some math classes using CGI (Cognitive Guided Instruction). Some students were so motivated to solve their homework that they were working out problems on cardboard scraps using charcoal pieces for pencils!

Dan worked with the preschoolers in the morning doing Lego building challenges, paper rockets, hot wheels racing, color mixing with cornstarch gel, and sewing. In the afternoon he did microscopy with the older students, and did rope making and a tower engineering challenge. 

The kids had a wonderful week and all of us came home completely exhausted.  Thank you again for your generosity.  You helped provide these kids with supplies and experiences that they never could have imagined.  Time will only tell where this experience will lead them!

Itemized Cost Breakdown:

Raspberry Shake Seismometer                                                                       $375.00
Uninterrupted Power Supply                                                                              $70.00
(Back-up power and surge protection for the seismometer)
Hand tools                                                                                                                    $285.00
Third bag airline fees                                                                                              $150.00
 In-country garden building supplies and tools                                       $325.00
Art and sewing supplies                                                                                        $310.00