24 Sep 2017 Ambassador: Ein Chang
Ein Chang
Bellevue High School
Bellevue, WA
FUTURE CAREER GOALS
Computer Science or Biomedical engineering
DESCRIPTION OF YOUR SCHOOL/ORGANIZATION
Bellevue High School is a public school that has about 1500 students and many active service clubs. Many of these clubs are social service (like Key Club) or competition (like DECA) based. Some clubs that revolve around STEM are Robotics, HOSA, Science Club, and Earthbound Club. Numerous AP classes are offered at BHS ; some like AP Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Science could possibly implement aquaponics into their curriculum.
WHAT ORIGINALLY MADE YOU INTERESTED IN THIS PROJECT?
As I was studying for AP Biology, I was introduced to aquaponics and was surprised. I hadn’t heard/seen of aquaponics before and was surprised that it was a sustainable system (unlike the other forms of agriculture I was used to). After further research, I was even more surprised that anyone (with the right materials) could implement this system at home and that’s how I discovered Project Feed 1010! I realized how little I knew about environmentalism/sustainable living/food insecurity and joined Project Feed 1010 to learn more and be enabled to educate others about what I had learned.
WHY DO YOU WANT TO BRING THIS PROJECT TO YOUR SCHOOL/COMMUNITY CENTER/ORGANIZATION?
At my school, most students are aware that there is a food insecurity issue, but forget or view it as a irrelevant/distant concept. Many of us take our food for granted and sometimes think that food insecurity is a problem, but not one necessarily in Washington. I was surprised when I learned that Washington is the 23rd hungriest state and that 1 in 5 kids in Washington lives in a household that struggles to put food on the table and the severity of this global problem and the immense consequences that could follow. I believe many students, once educated will want to help solve this problem. Project Feed 1010 not only educates people (especially students) but also gives them the support/guidance to take action in an accessible way.
WHAT CURRENT CLUBS ARE AVAILABLE? WHAT TEACHERS/COURSES COULD INTEGRATE THIS PROJECT?
Possible clubs: Earthbound and HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America)
Possible classes: AP Bio, AP Chem, AP Environmental Science
WHAT IS YOUR PLAN?
My plan is create a mobile app that implements features from Project Feed 1010’s web app and new features like easily storing and sharing data/pictures, assigning tasks, and step-by-step guides of how to set up aquaponic systems. My goal is to make aquaponics (which would hopefully lead to more discussions/learning about food security/sustainable agriculture) more accessible to students on a platform (phones) that most always have with them. Maintaining an aquaponic system takes a team and time, and this app would make it easier. Later, I plan to implement an aquaponic system at my school through an existing club and provide this app as a resource!
WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU THINK YOU WILL FACE IN GETTING THIS SET UP?
Some challenges might be:
-funding to develop a developer license
-coding problems within the app
-integrating the web app with mobile app
-getting the app on the store