Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) are causing considerable shifts in the priorities of schools like ours.
For one thing, Alphas are committed to sustainability. “A recent statistic I saw brought home how passionate Alphas feel about the environment and sustainability,” shared Mary Beth Beeber, Bornblum Middle’s science teacher and outdoor educator. “Recent research suggests that as many as 81 percent of parents of generation Alpha kids say that their children have influenced their actions or consumption decisions, making them more environmentally aware.”

Seventh Graders Eitan and Jacob collect flower seeds from one of our gardens
Bornblum’s leadership sees this influence at school as well. Over the past several years, under the guidance of Mrs. Beeber, Bornblum has moved rapidly toward creating a more sustainable campus. These changes around campus are remarkable and are aligned with our students’ priorities and our school’s long term vision.
For example, several years ago, we created the Heather Samuels Butterfly Garden to create a beautiful and relaxing space on campus. Since then, working with students, Mrs. Beeber has transformed the garden into a living laboratory and a Monarch Butterfly Way Station. Mrs. Beeber shared, “We have planted large amounts of swamp milkweed on campus where Monarchs lay their eggs and the caterpillars feed, as well as many native flowers that feed the adult butterflies and other pollinators. We are helping to save an endangered species, and, at the same time, we are creating a living laboratory where students learn hands-on.” The school now uses its outdoor spaces to teach various subjects, such as life cycles, reproduction, growth, habitats, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, mineral and soil composition, and overall sustainability. The gardens also provide an opportunity for student leadership. For example, this fall, seventh graders helped each K-5 class create a Monarch habitat in their classroom, and together, the we released hundreds of Monarch butterflies.

Monarch butterflies grown at Bornblum rest in the Heather Samuels Butterfly Garden
In another move toward sustainability, Bornblum has shifted from purchasing seedlings for its gardens to growing plants from seeds that are harvested on our campus each year. The new Bornblum Seed Bank houses heirloom (non GMO) seeds harvested by students from the plants on campus. These seeds are stored inside over the winter and then planted in subsequent years. Our seed bank allows us to teach sustainable gardening practices to our students. They learn the life cycle of plants, the concept of seed storage, and how creating a seed bank helps to ensure future generations will have access to native plants. Mrs. Beeber pointed out, “We are so excited because the milkweed planted on campus this fall is the third generation of plants from the same progenitor seeds.”
Sustainability is also front and center with the new Go Green initiative in Bornblum Middle. During the first semester, middle school students have analyzed various areas of campus to discover opportunities to make the campus more sustainable. Our students explored our campus practices critically in places like the lunch spaces and the front office to determine ways to reduce waste. Using the school’s design thinking methodology, students worked in teams to research and create solutions that they can implement throughout the school. The Go Green initiative, led by our Design Thinking teacher, Samantha Schmidt puts students in the driver’s seat. Students are choosing the priorities and projects that they and their generation are passionate about. It is another way that Bornblum is a place of innovation that teaches students to how impact the world around them.

Sixth Graders Rosie and Lillian work with Mrs. Beeber to refine their ideas for the K-Cup Recycling System Project in Design Thinking

Sixth Grader Gabe works with Moreh Sharabi on the one of the planks for the Recycled Bench Project
Creating a sustainable campus is a long-term project. There are so many opportunities, from sourcing green supplies to composting food waste, to planting native trees and plants that clean the air and help control flooding and soil erosion. Most of all, it is an amazing way to educate and motivate students in ways that not only prepare them for their future, but allow them to make a difference in their world now.
Here are a few examples of the projects created by our Bornblum Middle Students:
Sixth Grade:
- Designed and crafted a bench made from recycled cans to be used in the boys’ locker room
- Created a bin cart for compost, recycling, and trash bins
- Developed a puppet show about recycling for Kindergarten through Second Graders
- Developed a K-Cup recycling system for staff and faculty to use
Seventh Grade:
- Designed and crafted a movable cart from recycling, trash, and compost bins
Eighth Grade:
- Designed a research study to investigate the efficacy of paper towels used in bathrooms
- Designed instructional graphics and photos for bathrooms to inform Kindergarten through Second Graders how to wash their hands and recycle paper towels
As we continue to grow our Design Thinking curriculum in the coming year and grow our sustainability initiatives, we hope you will consider joining us in our Giving Tuesday Campaign, which will aide in the further advancement of the Bornblum Seed Bank.
