Repair at Longfellow Middle School!
Berkeley Unified School District
Is in the Vanguard!
Berkeley Unified School District is creating a model approach for schools: grounding repair in climate literacy, integrating repair into instructional curricula, and enriching school - community relations.
The Fix-it Fests are just one component of a collaboration between the BUSD Climate Literacy Initiative and the Middle School Makerspace Program. Middle school students are also taught week-long repair units in their STEM-focused Makerspaces.
Through hands-on experience repairing items, including their own, students and families will learn about repair's role in environmental sustainability and develop a sense of their capacity to take care of our material world.
The Repair Program is a brilliant example of BUSD's commitment to the environment. It is the district's 2021 Climate Literacy Resolution in action.
"Tending and mending and fixing ~~ An ethos grounded in care."
The Library Grows
The Library has been expanded substantially to include a wider range of resources, including these four terrific videos.
"How to Reduce Waste"
This video focuses on the role repair plays in caring for the earth, and where repair fits in the transition from a consumption-based linear economy, to a circular economy. An easily accessible animation from Share and Repair Bath, England. (2:40 minutes)
"Re-thinking Progress"
This animated video presents the circular economy in easily understandable terms. From the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (3:48 minutes)
"Design for Upgrade and Repair"
From Autodesk, an entertaining and substantive video outlining the principles of designing products for repair and maintenance. (4 minutes)
"Se Rompió el Modelo, Revolución Reparadora, y Armá Tu Club"
Discarded objects come alive to teach about consumerism, planned obsolescence, the environment and repair in three lively and engaging videos. From Club de Reparadores in Buenos Aires, with the support of Patagonia. (in Spanish, 3:53, 3:45 and 3:35 minutes)
These and much more are available in the Educator Resource Library.
Resources to help you get out the gate!
A Must-See for everyone:
"Buy Now - The Shopping Conspiracy"
A chilling documentary recently released by Netflix about “the hidden tactics and covert strategies used to keep all of us locked in an endless cycle of buying, no matter the cost.”
One of the principal interviewees is Kyle Wiens, founder of iFixit. Wiens recounts the demise of repair as consumerism surges, speaks to repair's essential role in caring for the earth and reclaiming control over what we own, and advocates for the Right to Repair.
Finally: I'm largely just me.
The impact of The Culture of Repair Project could be vastly expanded with help.
In Cyberspace!
Visit Get Involved to see how you might lend a hand.
Let me hear about other exciting repair programs, resources and plans so I can spread the word. We are most powerful in community.
If it's broke, FIX IT!
Vita