Anupama Mahajan Has Her Students Lead the Way
Anupama Mahajan’s enthusiasm for her job and students is contagious. She has a masters degree in both physics and education, and is currently teaching international baccalaureate (B) environmental science and biogeochemical science at Central High School. She loves the sciences because they are hands-on. She takes her students for frequent outdoor excursions. The best way to learn about the environment, after all, is immersing yourself. Anupama also heads up Central High School’s Green Team to great success. In 2018, Central High School was awarded the State of Maryland Green School Certification.
In 2019, Anupama received the Unsung Hero Award for her commitment to environmental literacy.
Anupama takes Central High’s mantra of “students lead the way” to heart. When it comes to her green program, she’s along for the ride. The students plan and execute the programs. When she discusses the work her students have done, she’s full of pride. Her Green Team is conscious of the world around them and determined to make a difference. What starts in the classroom spirals through the community. She fondly recalls one student lobbying the manager at his after-school job to properly recycle. His success at the popular fast food chain likely kept thousands of pounds of recyclable material out of the landfill.
The State of Maryland Green School Certification, photo courtesy of Anupama Mahajan
One of Central High’s student gardens, photo courtesy of Anupama Mahajan
This story is one of many success stories of Anupama’s program. Her philosophy revolves around instilling confidence in her students. In her words, “I don’t give advice. I advise them to find solutions.” And they do. On the precipice of adulthood, many teens are full of ideas about how to change the world, but wary to speak up. They just need someone to give them a push. Anupama gives them the freedom to explore their own solutions outside a rigid curriculum. (That’s not to say she doesn’t suggest programs. She frequently experiments with things at home, like plant cuttings and compost, and then shares her results with her students.) “Student’s are full of amazing solutions,” says Anupama. “I just listen.”
A squash growing in Central High’s compost system, photo courtesy of Anupama Mahajan
photo courtesy of Anupama Mahajan
Anupama’s students have enacted many programs at the school with her support, and the support of local organizations like the Alice Ferguson Foundation:
Gardens: Anupama’s students took to gardening like fish to water. They planted large beds of flowers and vegetables for harvest, and to attract and foster important pollinators like bees and butterflies. Anupama’s students even voluntarily kept the garden running, even during the summer and COVID-19.
Composting: The Department of the Environment selected Central High’s application to be a composting pilot program, and Central High began composting their food scraps.
Community cleanups: Working with the Alice Ferguson Foundation, students organized a cleanup of school grounds and the surrounding community and natural area. They picked up a combined 13 bags of recyclable material, 6 bags of trash, and 4 tires.
Legislative action: When Anupama brought in photos from areas in the County with severe litter problems, her students organized a letter-writing campaign to the local legislature. Another student, bothered by a lack of recycling bins around the playground, approached a local councilwoman and made a change.
Trash audit: Working with the Alice Ferguson Foundation, students examined Central High’s trash and made a plan to reduce the amount of trash produced by the school.
Cafeteria recycling: Anupama’s Green Team distributed recycling bins to classrooms and the cafeteria.
Teaching: While COVID-19 interrupted her plans, Anupama says that once they are able, her students will visit the local elementary schools to teach them about trash reduction, recycling, and organizing community clean-ups.
At the core of Anupama’s philosophy is taking ownership. By providing her students with the knowledge and resources they need, she can watch them go out and make a real difference in the world. They take ownership of their land, local issues, and the education of those around them.
Interested in enacting programs like these at your school? Let us know what we can do to help!