We are just a bunch of hypocrites!

I am very blessed to work for people who trust me enough to try this crazy idea of an urban agriculture elective, but I still had the issue of coming up with the money to do the cool things that I hope to do in the spring (everything from chickens, to vermiculture to some aquaponics.) I was offered a little money from my administration, but I really wanted enough to truly explore urban agriculture so I had the idea of letting the students figure out how to make the money. This is problem based learning at it's core. I told them one day that I thought we needed about $1200 for this semester and that I would personally loan them $300 of my money. Their task was to turn that $300 into $1200 over the next 7 weeks. I told them that anything was on the table and then I said "go." It was fun to watch as they started talking to each other and bouncing ideas off each other. Some started with really small ideas like we could collect pop cans or ask their parents for donations and some started with crazy big ideas like selling Ipads, but as they talked with their peers their ideas were filtered and dissected and reasonable ideas started to surface. On group went to the old standby of having a "candy cart." It is not the most creative idea but it works. One group had an in with someone who had carnival supplies so they were going to bring in a cotton candy machine and a snow cone machine. The last group made Hershey kiss roses for Valentines day. I was impressed how they work through this very basic problem of needing money and came up with very reasonable ideas. Of course there was one problem...we are a class that talks about the importance of good natural food and we are selling all kinds of candy. I guess that makes us hypocrites? But if that's what it takes I am OK with that, because this money will allow them to do some really cool things in the spring and they are learning so much running a little business. Of by the way, they are doing really good they have earned over $700 in the first three weeks. Pretty cool!