Celebrating Transformational Education
Ten years ago this year, our SustainaFest team had the crazy idea of teaching middle and high school students about sustainable lifestyles and environmentally-friendly construction by letting them build a tiny house with their own hands. Over the course of the summer, more than 50 Maryland students from Annapolis, Baltimore and the surrounding area joined forces with our staff and volunteers, military veterans, building experts, and educators to take on the challenge of building a mobile, high-tech, hyper-efficient and sustainable home. The 210-square-foot, off-grid house demonstrated the latest in sustainable building materials and green technology, including solar electricity, rainwater filtration and innovative interior design to maximize space and efficiency.
SustainaFest pulled together a wide array of supporting partners including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Connected Warrior Foundation, and Living Classrooms Foundation, and teamed with various construction industry firms including American Cedar & Millwork, M&F Builders, Stanley Black & Decker, Standard Solar, Annapolis Painting Services and SKA Studios to make it all happen. True to our roots, we combined passionate participants, inspirational films, and cutting-edge educational programming to produce a learning experience unlike any other. The experience was transformational, not only for the students but for the military veterans and other volunteers who participated. Importantly, the program went well beyond teaching eco-friendly construction techniques. We leveraged the opportunity to also educate the students about global issues of poverty, homelessness, and the lack of affordable housing while opening their eyes to the prospect of social entrepreneurism as a career path.
The program caught fire, leading to national and international media coverage and a clamor among schools for the opportunity to bring the innovative educational programing to their students. The first home was sold and transported to Austin, Texas and a second home was built. We worked closely with an architect to design several tiny home models, each targeted at a different need, and plans for program expansion through a partnership with homeless shelters were created. Unfortunately, everything was back-burnered by the emergence of the COVID pandemic. More recently, discussions are beginning to re-emerge on how to reinvigorate the award-winning program.
Regardless of the outcome moving forward, our “tiny house journey” proved pivotal in the evolution of the SustainaFest model. We experienced first hand the power of deep engagement and a commitment to impact.
