“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” – Margaret J. Wheatley
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Charles D. Owen Middle School (OMS) is creating a school landscape that promotes environmental stewardship, citizen science and exploratory learning through our Natural Impact Initiative (NII). Our goal is to connect the digital generation of students to their natural Appalachian heritage. We want our students invested in the future of our valley, their community, and
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Black Mountain News Owen Middle School has received a $5,000 grant that is enabling its seventh-grade science students to study genetics through Owen’s Genetics Explorer Project. The goal of the Genetic Explorer Project is to provide seventh-grade students with an authentic look at the study of genetics through experiential education that uses DNA extraction and
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Black Mountain News Owen Middle School’s after school science lab is a well-kept fun secret. It is where projects like creating slime and DNA testing are done weekly. “The science lab is a unique grant-partnership with Warren Wilson College that allows for any number of students to attend an after-school science lab. “We have as
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With the goal of helping the children in Buncombe County’s Owen School District, the Kiwanis Club of Black Mountain-Swannanoa Foundation issued mor than $89,000 in grants last Thursday. The funds were presented to…principals and teachers from Owen High, Owen Middle…$2,000 went to Owen Middle, where it will support a “heritage garden.” Students will plant and
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Black Mountain News Hops, native blueberries, ramps milkweed and Monarch butterflies are one local farm’s special crops. “It is important for students to understand that everything we do has consequences,” Van Burnette said. “We need to learn to make the consequences good ones. The nice thing about student tours is that it gives a hands-on
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7th grade students from Owen Middle School had their first field trip to coincide with their Natural Impact Initiative. Students were taught how to make bee “hotels” and given further knowledge of the importance of pollinators to our food source. In addition, they toured the onsite butterfly house and got to see Monarch butterflies in
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WLOS original interview Middle School Students Help Environment and Improve School’s Landscaping “They’re actually incorporating hands on learning experiences into their studies. They’re learning about their Appalachian heritage. They’re applying what they learned,” Krasutsky said.
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Black Mountain News Owen Middle School has completed Phase 1 of the Natural Impact Initiative Project that began in last school year as a small “green team”. Members included teachers from multiple disciplines with a strong focus in science. The school partnered with the community to raise the $8,000 that the first phase cost.
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The American Chestnut Foundation partnered with Owen Middle School as part of the Natural Impact Initiative. The goal is to connect students to their natural Appalachian heritage through outdoor ecological sites designed for exploratory learning. The main focus is to boost STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) readiness and increase proficiency in the core curriculum.
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Read Article “This important conservation work fits in well with our school mission and vision, along with complimenting North Carolina educational standards.” Brittany Krasutsky, Owen Middle School Seventh Grade Science Teacher. “In 7th grade, students study cell structure and function, followed by our unit on genetics. This program will facilitate a deeper understanding of these
Brittany Krasutsky 