Design Ideas

As designers, we intend to oversee the (two) practical projects we are planning to undertake with our two chosen schools; Kingswood and Nyaluza.
These projects are to be a papermaking and printing workshop, and a dustbin painting session.
The papermaking process will centre on the notion of recycling, using recycled paper. This paper will then be printed on using potato stamping as well as paint and ink. The dustbin painting session will focus on the anti-littering campaign, and will use images and phrases that address littering in a creative and innovative way.

In relation to the papermaking project, the ultimate objective is to produce pieces of recycled paper that the scholars can creatively express what they've learnt throughout the entire multimedia engagement process. In this way, the actual paper making would be done in the first session, and the printing done in the last so as to give time to reflect.

These reflections will then be pegged onto a wire tree as 'leaves' and for the centre-piece of our exhibition. The idea is that after our exhibition, the tree can be moved to different schools who perhaps could not make it to the official exhibition.

We can also layout wall newspapers containing writing and photojourn content that documents this process and will accompany the tree.

Design team: Zethu Mtshemla and Layla Leiman

The writers' mission

As the writers for the Prof Green Thumb project we have multiple ideas on how we can contribute to an effective and interesting general media output.

Our proposed ideas have been listed below:

• Preparing and contributing to three one hour long lessons with the learners form both Kingswood College and Nyaluza High.
• In preparation for these lessons, the writers have been delegated certain tasks. We will compile carbon footprint surveys for the learners to complete, construct lists of fun facts concerning environmental conservation that the learners will be encouraged to take heed of and incorporate into the ways their schools approach the environment.
• As writers we will document these lessons, the learners progress and the implementation of these newly acquired skills in their schools. This will be done in the form of print media.
• This print media will consist of wall posters, pamphlets, regularly updated blog posts that will form part of our final exhibition.
• Also print media produced by the learners themselves will be assimilated into our final display. The learners will be asked to report on what they have learnt throughout the project and what they intend to do with this new knowledge.
• Should the learners initiate anti-litter or recycling campaigns in their schools once lessons have come to an end, this too will be documented in the form of pamphlets that can be distributed to other local schools.
• Along with the design team we will be responsible for the construction of a three-dimensional paper maché tree that will serve as the canvas for our final pieces of journalism. This portable tree will display all print media output and will be exhibited at both the schools involved as well as the Albany Museum.

The lessons have been planned as follows:

Lesson 1

• Carbon footprint questionnaires made applicable to both English and isiXhosa learners (writers)
• Paper-making project (writers)
• Making posters with potato stamps (designers)
• Learner homework: think about environmental solutions for their school

Lesson 2

• Discuss plans for their school (photographers)
• And how to implement ideas (photographers)
• Nyaluza: will make rubbish bins because they have a litter problem
• Kingswood College: will make recycling bins for recycling problem (Writers)

Lesson 3:

• GRASS clean up at the river (all)
• Discussion afterwards with both schools to find ways in which they can help each other in the future (all)
• Drinks and snacks to thank them

The writing team:
Remy Raitt, Ilana Koegelenberg, Simone Peinke.

Prof Green Thumb team

This is just to kick off our blog and say wassup to the world. All in all there are 12 of us who are doing this project, we are third year Journalism and Media Studies students based at Rhodes University in Grahamstown. We've embarked on a project which will hopefully revolutionize how environmental projects are done in schools. As time goes by you'll see exactly what we are working on, I just don't want to spill the beans as yet... So watch the space and stay tuned to Prof Green Thumb...