Earth Day is about giving back to our environment, but for some students, it also means giving back to their elementary school. The high school Society of Women Engineers (SWE) club is a fixture at elementary school science events, and this weekend helped plant flowers, shrubs and more at Captain’s Garden Day.
(Claire Linnenbringer)
“Garden Day is a way to come together as a community, to help unify the school” Captain elementary science teacher Chris Hwande said. “We want everybody to feel like this school is for everybody, so when it looks inviting, when we have things that the kids can feel and smell, and look at, and it’s beautiful, then it gives a more inviting feel.”
Community at Garden Day goes beyond current Captain students, as alumni return with SWE to lend a helping hand.
“It feels really nostalgic to be able to come back and support a community that helped me so much when I was younger,” junior Aiden Tavits said.
Megan Tai, a junior, did not attend Captain as an elementary schooler but has been involved in numerous SWE activities, including science fair mentoring, STEAM night volunteering and Garden Day. Out of all her SWE-related excursions, Garden Day remains a favorite.
“I feel very happy that the children have an opportunity to garden and make the earth more beautiful,” Tai said. “The gardening day makes me feel like I made a difference in the world by planting these beautiful flowers.”
Garden Day falls during peak spring planting season in the Midwest, when soil temperatures consistently reach 60°F; ideal conditions for seedlings.
“The earth, the earth is our home, and we have to take care of it,” Tai said.
SWE members participated in Captain Elementary’s Garden Day; for Tavits, the club’s outreach work is part of what makes it meaningful.
“[Women in STEM] are a group that isn’t always represented, and I wanted a space where I could meet new people and be with other women who are interested in the same things as me,” Tavits said.
