Objective 3: Community Partnerships
1. Nicholas Orem Partnership with the Anacostia Watershed Society
In 2014 the Anacostia Watershed Society received funding from the Chesapeake Bay Trust to design and install renovations to the Nicholas Orem campus that will minimize stormwater runoff from the school to the Anacostia River. The grant included funding for physical retrofits as well as education and student engagement.
AWS Landscape architects design campus renovations
AWS Landscape Architects designed renovations for the Nicholas Orem inner courtyard (pictured above) as well as the front of the school. These plans include a dry stream bed, cistern installations as well as native gardens all designed to minimize stormwater runoff from the school's roof. Work on the courtyard was mostly completed in the summer and fall of 2014 by AWS staff as well as summer school students and 8th grade science classes.
AWS Educators ENgage Students In Schoolyard Renovations
Nicholas Orem 8th grade students helped with the AWS-led courtyard renovations by weeding, planting, and mulching a native wildflower garden as well as planting along the newly installed stream bed. In the picture to the right, AWS educator Chris Lemieux (far left) shows students the correct way to plant to one of Ms. Irvine's 8th grade science classes. The left shows 8th grade students planting in the wildflower garden (both in October 2014).
Students paint storm drain murals in hyattsville neighborhood
Students in Ms. Suarez' 8th grade art classes ventured into the Hyattsville neighborhood surrounding Nicholas Orem Middle School to help beautify the community and remind its citizens of local storm drains' connections to the Anacostia River. In this way, students learned about how stormwater runoff makes its way to the Anacostia River while also leaving a positive imprint on the surrounding neighborhood (October 2014).