Earth Force students' work honors Volney Rogers.

Volney Rogers sixth grader Jazmin Schwab, 13, identifies different plants in a garden planted in the middle school’s courtyard to memorialize the school’s namesake. Photo by Rami Daud Reprinted from Vindy.com

June 2, 2011 - As a tribute to Volney Rogers, the students in the Gifted Program and Honors Science classes are working with Earth Force to begin a four-year project to teach students about the school’s namesake and the wise use of resources.

“When we moved into the new school,” said Nora McDevitt, “I believed that the gifted and honors science students should be doing something about making our building's landscaping a tribute to Volney Rogers because he was instrumental in starting Mill Creek Park and has been inducted into the Ecology Hall of Fame.”

Last year, Deborah Rogers and Nora McDevitt, gifted and talented teachers, decided to work together on a garden project. Instead of having the whole courtyard done in one year by having adults do the work, they set a long range plan for students to do the actual work on one quadrant each year with students planting and finishing the courtyard in four years.

This year was a learning year. Linda Kostka and Ray Novotny of Mill Creek MetroParks spoke to the students about Volney Rogers' life and work. Mill Creek Park\'s architect helped students put their ideas into a written set of plans for the garden. Students learned about native plants, pollution, and their watershed in Honors Science and visited nearby Ax Factory Run creek to test the water and pick up litter. The architect helped students learn the correct way to plant trees in the garden. Tom Anderson, political activist, helped students connect with community officials, historians and funding opportunities. Councilman Paul Drennen directed an $800 grant for the project and challenged other wards to consider funding this project. Plans are already in place for students to work on this garden project during the summer.

Students were also involved in the GREEN water monitoring program on March 31st, with mentors from the Lordstown GM facility. They incorporated rain barrels into the garden project to help mitigate stormwater drainage issues in Ax Run Creek, which runs behind the school to Mill Creek Park.

Thanks to Deborah Rogers, Nora McDevitt, Holly Burnett-Hanley at the Mahoning River Education Project, Kathleen Vrable-Bryan with the Mahoning County Government, Debbie Zitella with Youngstown City Schools and our GM and Corporation for National and Community Service supporters for all your help this year to make this project possible!

For more information, contact Nora McDevitt at 330-744-7996.