Entrepreneurship and economic curriculum for grades 3-5: “Young Sharks”
Highlighting The Health Of The Flint River Before And After Restoration
Theresa Groves, Department of Economics, College of Arts and Sciences Jennifer Delong
Heather Dawson, Ph.D., Department of Biology,
This project team developed an entrepreneurship and economics curriculum entitled Young Sharks for elementary students in grades 3-5. Ms. Groves created the content, and her student research assistant, Jennifer DeLong provided graphic design for the teacher lesson plans and student worksheets.
College of Arts and Sciences Bryan Miesen, Codi Green, Nicole Blakertz, Sloan Hummel
Dr. Dawson and her student research assistants studied the health of the Flint River. This project covers multiple years, beginning prior to the completion of the Flint River Restoration Project through to the completion of the full removal of the Hamilton Dam. In the light of the Flint Water Crisis, the research aims at calling attention to how healthy the Flint River is, even though it often appears unhealthy because of the large amount of sediment it carries.
The Young Sharks curriculum will aid teachers in fostering an entrepreneurial mindset, while encouraging critical thinking and providing a foundation in economic decision-making. The intent was to create an innovative, engaging, hands-on approach to learning economic and entrepreneurship concepts that is linked to the State of Michigan Standards so as to enable teachers to incorporate the curriculum in their daily planning.
Dr. Dawson’s research assistants helped her with creating user-friendly research summaries and with data collection. They gathered data on the health of the river by not only testing the water itself, but also measuring the abundance and health of the fish population. The project team has mapped the river bottom (bathymetry) adjacent to the University of Michigan – Flint’s campus, along with other stream banks in the area. Dr. Dawson plans to continue to collect additional data after the completion of the Flint River Restoration Project to check for any significant changes, either in river health or in river bathymetry.
In the first year of the Young Sharks program, over 400 students in Genesee County were impacted by the initiative, which included professional development training to teachers and culminated in a countywide business pitch competition and entrepreneurship showcase.
Project Website
Project Website
https://www.flintriverecostudy.com/ https://www.facebook.com/ flintriverecologystudy/
https://www.umflint.edu/outreach/young-sharks
Partners
Partners
C.S. Mott Foundation - Funder Genesee Intermediate School District Grand Blanc Schools
City of Flint, Genesee County Parks & Recreation Commission, Flint River Watershed Coalition, Flint River Corridor Alliance
The Porch Project Rebecca Tonietto, Ph.D., Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences Samantha Blouir, Shelby Lane Dr. Tonietto and her community partner Megan Heyza are supporting the Flint community directly by making landscaping improvements to the homes of people the community.
Grave Care Maintenance Services Market Exploration Thomas Henthorn, Ph.D., Department of History, College of Arts and Sciences
Lilly Ebarra, Lindsey Bowers, Jerome Barry, Jessica Pavlik
The Grave Care Maintenance Services Market Exploration project explores the potential to implement a grave care maintenance business to help communities maintain their graveyards. Dr. Henthorn and his students worked together to try and solve a problem that they recognized in communities. In many areas, graveyards are not maintained well due to the high costs of doing so, particularly because of the cost of fuel and equipment for maintenance.
Dr. Tonietto and Ms. Heyza observed that when the homes in an area had improved landscaping and home exteriors, people were more willing to become engaged with each other in the community. Additionally, by making the homes look well cared for, the perceived level of safety in the area is increased.
In working on this project, student research assistants were able to gain relevant experience in both fieldwork and project management. Using the survey data that they collected, Dr. Henthorn and his research assistants were able to develop a database that includes pertinent information relating to various cemeteries. They hope to use this data to create a Geographic Information System (GIS) map of the cemeteries they researched throughout the 7-county region.
The landscaping improvements go even further than assisting the community; they also benefit the wildlife in the area. By planting gardens using native plants and balancing the garden correctly, Dr. Tonietto and Ms. Heyza are able to assist efforts in the conservation of urban pollinators in the community and enhance biodiversity in the surrounding ecosystem. The student research assistants have developed independent projects that relate directly to the Porch Project such as: Which flower type is most attractive per garden treatment? And, which garden type attracts the most non-bee pollinators? Answers to both of these questions will aid Dr. Tonietto and Ms. Heyza in their efforts the community.
Partner
Eastside Improvement Association
Website
https://www.theporchproject.org/
WAYFINDING: Alternate Eco/nomic Commons Benjamin Gaydos, MFA, Department of Art & Art History, College of Arts and Sciences Stephanie Streeter
The Grand Blanc Commons, a 137.5 acre nature preserve in downtown Grand Blanc, offers an opportunity to develop new models for being fit and active and creating communities that are healthy and walkable, while being ecologically and economically sustainable. Mr. Gaydos and his research assistant, Stephanie Streeter, were asked by local leaders to fill a need for extra wayfaring and interpretive signage that would allow for more efficient and enjoyable navigation of trails in the Grand Blanc Commons, as identified by Grand Blanc City Manager, Wendy Jean-Buhrer and Mayor Susan Soderstrom. Mr. Gaydos believes that by making the trails more navigable, more people living in the Grand Blanc area will partake in hiking or riding the trails. Additionally, this would attract more tourists to the area who will spend money in the local economy and draw higher amounts of business and residential investments into Grand Blanc. New signage was designed by the team with help from Dr. Patricia McDonald. The signage is scheduled to be installed in spring 2020.
Partner
City of Grand Blanc
Flint Green Michael Witt, Ph.D., School of Management Elijah Madar, Elisabeth Hamilton, Todd Fridline, Carryn White
Flint Green is a project that aims at using cost-effective and innovative technologies to supply energy in a sustainable and economically viable way to underserved residents of Flint. The project involves a feasibility study that delves into known data, suppliers, and products, as well as the design of an optimal, low-cost, robust, functional energy production system utilizing that data. Four student research assistants reviewed the academic, technical, and commercial literature associated with wind turbines and solar power. To assist in their study, they met with experts from the State of Michigan’s Department of Energy; studied Federal energy policies, Federal and State tax policies; and surveyed the city and county building codes. Realizing that the most optimal form of sustainable low-cost energy production was a hybrid between solar and wind power, Dr. Witt and his research assistants designed a prototype of such a product. This prototype is anticipated to produce approximately half of a small home’s power requirements over a 12 month period, costing about $3000, including installation.
PARTNER
Michigan Department of Energy
MISTARTGATE.COM About the EDA
The EDA University Center for Community & Economic Development Research Fund has been established to support faculty/student teams in applied research that address community, economic, and business development needs in the counties of Genesee, Huron, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Shiawassee, and Tuscola (East Michigan Prosperity Region 6).
Funding provided in part by