Distancing infrastructures

The place I chose on campus was the Hitchcock Center for the Environment. According to the Hitchcock website it is the 23rd living building in the world and 4th in Massachusetts. Now many of us probably know what a living building is as we have one directly in the middle of our campus, but it is a self sufficient building. It creates its own water, energy and light among many other things. I could keep talking about that part but that is not my main focus. The building is just the surface level, the spark needed for a conversation. What’s so great about that being this building is that it is a nature center that has classes for kids from a wide range of ages. Now the classes that I worked with were always of the younger age (6-7 year olds usually) and part of the afterschool program so a curriculum was not something we had. Instead they were more or less set free in the outdoor areas or we went on walks around campus.  With the help of the living building and the use of mainly recycled materials used for crafts there is a constant conversation of the planet and waste. Something that I find adults often struggle to discuss openly. Instead Hitchcock Center created a safe space for all ages to have that conversation. It’s not judged or hidden but in your face and openly discussed.

Amherst's Hitchcock Center 23rd building in world to win green award