National Green Week 2009 
Second Place Winner - Best Green Project!
Croom Vocational Senior High School
Cheltenham, MD
Scientific Method in Action Along With Practical Application (Credit: Harold P. Belcher Jr.)
Croom High School is an alternative school designed to serve sixteen to twenty-one year old Prince George’s County Public School students. This school offers a diploma program for students that are trying to be successful after they experienced various issues in regular school. The Environmental Science Class under took this project. The scientific method is a process and building a man-made pond and renewing the atrium were challenges that required design, cooperation within the class and coordination with the electrical class, team work and vision to accomplish a goal. It started from nothing and completed the projects within a fourweek period. These projects allowed these students to accomplish tasks, do something for the wildlife, beautify the school and learn to believe in their abilities. Self esteem was gained and confidence expressed. This experience gave individuals who had previously not been successful in science or in applying education in the real world the opportunity to do so. The pond was stocked with Koi and gold fish, and they had planned to study water plants, and the positive effects on the school’s environment. The atrium was stocked with various plants. The Gazette article states in clear terms what these students experienced and the pictures attached here are worth a thousand words. After the projects were completed, the school was moved to a new location, January 2009. The new Environmental Class has been challenged with the task of relocating the pond to the new school and location. They started the project April 20, 2009 and are planning to complete it on or before May 20, 2009.