My name is Maiya Mangum and I am a senior at Science Leadership Academy at Beeber. I want to help make Science Leadership Academy at Beeber more sustainable by trying to create compost and educating others about composting. My capstone question is, How can teaching about composting and having a compost system help SLA Beeber and the environment? I think the project can benefit the community because Earth is our home and we need it to survive. It will benefit the community because I see a lot of trash being left behind by students. Having compost is another way to get rid of the trash but it goes into the soil and brings nutrients to the Earth. Educating students about composting will serve the community because it can inspire people to create their own compost or a way to make people aware of contributing positively to the environment. In this capstone project, I am most proud of my partner and my quick adaptation to the challenges we faced. We were able to produce a compost system that can be modified for years to come for seniors who are interested in making a school compost. I learned that I was able to adapt to the changes although it was stressful at times. Not knowing what direction your project is going to take or what your next steps will be was stressful. Although, I realized the essence of the capstone project is to experiment and mistakes will be made along the way which is a part of the process.

First, we wanted to introduce the PSA with an interesting fact that would grab our audience’s attention. Then we described what lead poisoning is, common sources where people can obtain lead poisoning, and some of the long-lasting effects that can be correlated with obtaining lead poisoning. We also described people who are affected the most by lead poisoning, why lead poisoning is an environmental justice issue, and potential solutions to the lead poisoning issue. I think our group communicated well and our PSA turned out as planned. I think something we could have done differently was how different cities were facing lead poisoning issues but in different ways than Philadelphia. I think the most meaningful part of creating the PSA is creating a professional final product that could be used to influence positions to take a bigger stance on the lead issue we are facing in Philadelphia and all over the United States.

The global water crisis is an environmental justice issue. The global water crisis is an environmental justice issue because it negatively impacts people who have a lower income and don’t have the resources to get clean and safe drinking water in this instance. Everyone needs water in order to survive and in certain areas clean and accessible drinking water isn’t attainable. Clean drinking water should be a fundamental right because it is something we can’t live without. I was most surprised by the creation of water loans because water should be something that is given but yet it is something that could potentially cause a financial burden.