For a month, students had an opportunity to self-organize into groups based on interest. The 2 groups researched a topic relevant to our lives here at school and their conclusions will be implemented in the coming months.

One group started to form opinions on the OLPC program. They will research laptop hardware and software configurations, design, energy sources, and OLPC philosophy and will work to raise our community’s awareness of the project.

OLPC informational flyer excerpt by Garrett K.

The second group addressed the issue of battery consumption currently faced by our school. All of our digital cameras, video cameras and GPS devices run on AA batteries. On the Port Townsend trip alone, the 7th grade used over 20 disposable batteries to fuel our electronic devices. In the coming weeks, students will learn about what happens to batteries when they are dead, how they impact our environment and possible alternate solutions to our energy needs.

Batteries used in one week by the 7th grade.