For the 2023-2024 school year, Dr. Nancy Germano is teaching a first-year seminar (FYS) called “Nature, Place, Story.” Fulfilling the Indianapolis Community Requirement, its goal is to integrate classroom knowledge with active experiences in the Indianapolis community. As a result, this class allows Butler students to build broader connections in the Indianapolis area while advancing their education. For ten weeks of Dr. Germano’s FYS, students stay on campus and go over readings on Monday and visit and engage with the community on Wednesday. Most Wednesday mornings, the class spends their time working with second graders at Indianapolis Public School (IPS) 55. Every week, Butler students partake in different activities that connect the community to nature. One week, they did leaf presses, allowing students to preserve a piece of the outdoors. Besides connecting to nature, the class builds bridges to the historic communities surrounding Butler University.
Although the FYS typically spends their Wednesday mornings with IPS 55, they had a change of plans for one of their classes in mid-October due to IPS 55 being on Fall Break. As a result, they had to look elsewhere to connect to the community. They had the extraordinary opportunity to work with students at the Stepping Stone Academy, which is a school for children with autism. Located next to the Old Engine 31 Fire Station, community members have developed the area into a green space for civic engagement rather than have it fall into disrepair. They took a historic building and repurposed it into something new. They maintain numerous gardens, take care of chickens, host events for the Stepping Stone Academy, and will continue to expand their endeavors in the future.
For the activity at the Old Engine 31 Fire Station, Butler students worked with the Stepping Stone Academy students to upcycle some flowers and seeds and make nature-themed cards to give to family members and friends. Tasked with decorating the outside of envelopes with recycled flowers and markers, students did just that and got creative with the project. After designing the card, students placed seeds inside the envelope to give to family members and friends so they could plant new plants. This project took old flowers and repurposed them so others could enjoy their beauty. Planting the seeds will continue this cycle and allow students to build a stronger connection to nature. Besides interacting with the environment, it allowed the Stepping Stone Academy and Butler students to showcase their amazing art skills.
Rather than stay inside the classroom all semester, Dr. Germano’s FYS class has the opportunity to explore nature and experience the Indianapolis community to the fullest. Students get to build connections outside Butler’s campus, and it is a rewarding feeling. According to student Vivian Rodkey, “It is a fulfilling experience to engage with the community and learn about Indianapolis’s history in the process as well.” This class shows that planting seeds in the community can grow into something beautiful.