First environmentally focused charter school leverages Bigbelly Smart Waste System in its STEM curriculum and visual arts program
NEWTON, MASS., April 28, 2015 – Bigbelly, Inc., the leading provider of enterprise waste management solutions, announces its latest install at the Wissahickon Charter School (Philadelphia Penn.), which maintains an environmental focus that recognizes the importance of active learning. The installation was in response to its teachers’ commitment to wanting to bring the most efficient and sustainable waste solution to the school’s campus, while also creating teachable moments and supporting the school’s art program.
Through the power of social media (Twitter), Deva Watson, Wissahickon Charter School K-8 art teacher, connected with Bigbelly to determine the synergy with the school’s curriculum philosophy, which includes students and staff working together to make the earth a more peaceful and environmentally-sustainable home. By highlighting the innovative technology used in Bigbelly’s ‘smart,’ solar-powered waste system, the station provides opportunities to incorporate its use in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) coursework.
“We want to thank Bigbelly for bringing this amazing teachable opportunity to our school,” said Kristina P. Littell, CEO, Wissahickon Charter School. “Our teaching and learning fosters the development of active citizens who share a joy of learning, think critically, and understand the connectedness of the world. The innovation and technology behind the Bigbelly system and its unique display capabilities will integrate well with our STEM and art curriculum in a way that we are certain will engage our students and excite them to embrace learning in a new way.”
Bigbelly’s unique customizable wraps extend learning benefits to the visual arts. Watson, a passionate teacher focused on fostering the love of arts and appreciation of sustainability and conservation, can use the system to display artwork that communicates the importance of sustainability in today’s world. She has encouraged her 7th grade students to express and communicate their own recycling and green planet messages through art that will adorn the outside of the Bigbelly station and change periodically. Much of the artwork exhibited will come from the ‘Fresh Palates to Palettes’ project, which Watson founded. The project gives students from disadvantaged neighborhoods the opportunity to experience both fine and culinary art, and to learn how the attributes of both fields can enhance work. The students see first-hand how a fine dining meal can translate into pen and paper and how they can use these skills in a business sense by reinterpreting their drawings into a marketing campaign.
According to Jack Kutner, CEO of Bigbelly, “Our waste and recycling system is transforming public spaces in a unique and meaningful way, and its innovative use of technology, solar power, and connected capabilities, is quite literally improving people’s lives. In the classroom, this could not be truer – Bigbelly plays a role in many teaching moments associated with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. We applaud Ms. Watson and her commitment to the arts and learning, and are encouraged to see these young artists create in visual form messaging that express hope and passion to protect and preserve vital natural resources.”
Online Resources: View the Emmy Award winning feature ‘Palates to Palettes’ project, and read Grid Magazine article.
About Bigbelly
Bigbelly, Inc. is the world-leading provider of enterprise waste & recycling management solutions with more than 1,500 customers in 47 countries. Solar powered, the Bigbelly Smart Waste & Recycling System combines cloud computing with smart compacting waste and recycling stations. Bigbelly’s system helps customers beautify their public space while reducing operational costs by 70-80 percent. For more information: http://bigbelly.com, @BigBellySolar, Facebook and LinkedIn.
