The IRC in Atlanta is extremely grateful for our continued partnership with Georgia Institute of Technology student group, Clarkston Futures (formerly Books Not Bombs) who have generously donated their time to support our Youth Futures afterschool program for several years.
The pandemic and our subsequent pivot to virtual programming was no barrier for our dedicated Georgia Tech students, who enthusiastically adapted their STEM programming and tutoring support to meet the needs of Clarkston High School students.
Georgia Tech volunteers walked students through the process of building a Flower Press using pre-assembled kits prepared at the Georgia Tech Invention Studio!
Photo: Clarkston Futures, Georgia Tech
Just before spring break, our Clarkston Futures volunteers, partnered with our Youth team to host a virtual STEM workshop. Many of our students enjoy participating in the IRC’s New Roots Garden Club on Fridays, and they have shown interest in creating art projects with flowers. During the virtual workshop—hosted over Zoom—Georgia Tech volunteers walked students through the process of building a Flower Press, using pre-assembled kits prepared at the Georgia Tech Invention Studio! Delivering the STEM kits to students provided a sweet and rare opportunity for our Youth team to see their students in person (with masks and social distancing!)
“It’s such a great experience, while doing it I felt peaceful, relaxed and joyful.” — Lojain, IRC Youth Futures and Clarkston High School student
Members of Georgia Tech Clarkston Futures led Zoom breakout rooms with groups of students, sharing step-by-step instructions on how to assemble the flower presses.
Photo: IRC Atlanta
Members of Georgia Tech Clarkston Futures led Zoom breakout rooms with groups of students, sharing step-by-step instructions on how to assemble the flower presses. Johanna Hall, the Georgia Tech Clarkston Futures STEM Coordinator, shared, “It was great to see the students so excited about making their flower presses, and I had a great time talking to them about their interests and what they want to do after graduating!” Many IRC students got to ask questions and show off their new flower presses during the call. One student, Lojain, was inspired to create an even bigger flower press using everyday items around the house like wood, cardboard, newspaper and cinder blocks! Lojain shared: “It’s such a great experience, while doing it I felt peaceful, relaxed and joyful. It inspired me to do a bigger version of the flower press and I even did again. Thank you for giving us those amazing and great experiences.”
Many of our students enjoy participating in the IRC’s New Roots Garden Club on Fridays, and they have shown interest in creating art projects with flowers.
After creating their flower presses, the students used provided craft materials to put their pressed flowers on display and some students went on to create picture frames and room decorations throughout the week of spring break. Student Say Lay shared with us afterwards, “It was an amazing and fun experience to work with flower presses and learn about different crafts.” Another student, Ae Wa, shared, “The flower presser was a new experience for me, and it was fun and easy to learn.”
The students used provided craft materials to put their pressed flowers on display and some students went on to create picture frames and room decorations throughout the week of spring break.
Overall, the students, IRC staff and Georgia Tech volunteers had lots of fun connecting online and doing a group project together. Georgia Tech volunteer, Anna Yue, shared, “I really enjoyed getting to know the students more, especially with how online tutoring has limited our interactions with each other!” The Clarkston Futures team at Georgia Tech hope that the flower presses will continue to offer a creative outlet for our students and encourage them to get outside and into nature!
To learn more about the work of the IRC in Atlanta and for information on how you can get involved with the IRC as a donor or volunteer, please contact Development Manager, Kalie Lasiter, at Kalie.Lasiter [at] Rescue.org or 678-636-8941.
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