How do we equip current and future generations with the tools they need for sustainable living practices? We believe awareness, education, and fun are critical to answering this question - and that's why we got a dumpster. We seek to use our living experiment – the dumpster-as-home – to inspire and challenge learners of all ages. The project includes the design, testing, and building of the dumpst
er home itself as well as the delivery of an integrated set of formal and informal education experiences intended to energize STEM learning and engage people in sustainability awareness. The educational approach common to these programs is to leverage the central dumpster-to-home challenge – how do you turn a 36 sq ft metal box into a home? – to introduce sustainability topics in the areas of food, water, air, energy, waste, and health in fresh and engaging ways. Because the dumpster is unconventional, it engages student interest in a way that traditional approaches may not.
