Thank you to Shawn Opplinger for her help with the Lake Superior Statewide Initiative (L.S.S.I.) grant! This is a wonderful addition to our greenhouse project: monetarily and being a member of the L.S.S.I. organization for future lessons in how to use our environment as a classroom.
For more information about the Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative click on the link below:
Katrice Perkins/Daily Mining Gazette Karyn Juntunen shows off one of the parts of the original plan of the building that will be used for the gardening project
The Copper Country Intermediate School District agreed to support Community Transition Program teacher Karyn Juntunen’s efforts in rehabilitating the greenhouse for school-wide use.
Juntunen presented a proposal to the board, including a budget that showed the layout of the building, her plans for it, the accessibility for her students and many photos at the meeting on Tuesday evening.
The greenhouse was donated to the CCISD from Copper Country Mental Health in September.
Juntunen said she received a call that they were going to be tearing it down and wanted to donate it to them.
“They said it was a no-brainer that they would donate it to us,” said Juntunen. “I was really excited and we thought we’d bring it here so that all students of the ISD could use it, not just my students.”
The estimated budget is $10,000, but she believes they can offset some of the cost with generous volunteers and donations.
“We’re going on the premise that we are in the Copper Country and people are going to help,” Juntunen said. “Just by word of mouth, I’ve already received a handful of guys that are already willing to help. I have some resources that are willing to donate help and time.”
Juntunen has already received a $3,000 donation from an anonymous person.
Juntunen, who teaches adults with cognitive impairments in a satellite program, started gardening with her classroom about 15 years ago as a way to teach life and work skills.
Her students range from the age 18-26. The students help plant, transport and sell the plants while being offered a stipend for their work.
http://www.mininggazette.com/news/local-news/2018/02/rehabilitating-a-greenhouse-for-teaching/
Proposed New Location at the C.C.I.S.D. Learning Center
PROPOSAL:
The focus of this proposal is to develop a plan to utilize this opportunity to its fullest potential. The C.C.I.S.D. has been given a 24’ x 24’ Vail style commercial greenhouse with galvanized steel supports and poly-carbonate sheeting sides along with the automatic shutter side venting, heater, and air exchanger. We are very fortunate to obtain this greenhouse as a donation; however, we are even more fortunate that the directions, blueprints, and manuals were all kept and handed over to me.
The project that I am proposing is to initiate the foundation and construction of the donated 24’ x 24’ commercial steel and poly-carbonate sheeting greenhouse structure with all its components on the C.C.I.S.D. Learning Center grounds to be completed and functional by April 2019. To achieve this goal the following will be initiated according to the following phases.
TIMELINE:
I have broken the project down to 3 phases to accomplish before the seeds are planted.
Phase 1: Foundation poured by June 2018
| Project Resources | ||||
| Type | Quantity | Labor | Contractor, if known | Price/Estimate of cost |
| Move and store structure in the Lindrus building | A-1 Drywall | $200.00
Paid |
||
| Estimated cost: | ||||
| Mobilize/haul equipment | $500.00 | |||
| Clear topsoil | 60 sq. yds | 4 hours | $600.00 | |
| Sand cushion | 25 cu. Yds | $500.00 | ||
| Excavation |
2 hours |
$300.00 | ||
| Grade prep/compact/form | 8 hours x 2 | $1000.00 | ||
| Backfill | 2 hours | $300.00 | ||
|
Rebar |
#5 12” Off Center each way plus #5 perimeter bar (1365# w/lap) | $1300.00 | ||
| Column Ties with hooks | 5 | $300.00 | ||
| Concrete | 19 cu. Yds.
6 PWS 18”x18” perimeter thickened edge |
$3800.00 | ||
| Finishing | 545 sq ft. | $500.00 | ||
| Cleanup | 3 hours | $200.00 | ||
| Topsoil | 10 cu. Yds. | $300.00 | ||
| Pick up tools | 2 days | $200.00 | ||
| Power trowel | $150.00 | |||
| Anchor bolt set (or drilled)? | ||||
| Estimated TOTAL: | $10,000.00 | |||
Phase 2: Construction completed by November 2018
Phase 3: Interior universal design for classroom and student use
Follow the link below to view the full proposal:
HISTORY:
The Community Transition Program started a greenhouse project in 2002. The students planted seeds and grew seedlings under fluorescent lights in the classroom. The plants were sold to the public in a temporary greenhouse structure during the last months of the school year. I purchased the hoop house greenhouse structure through a Michigan Transition Services grant.
In 2004, Copper Country Mental Health offered the use of their 24’ x 24’ commercial greenhouse structure that in years past had been used for growing hydroponic tomatoes with Copper Country Mental Health clients. The structure was being used for storage for many years after they stopped the hydroponic program. The Community Transition Program students have used this greenhouse structure to start their plants from seeds every spring from 2004 – 2017.
Each year the students plant seeds for five varieties of tomatoes, green peppers, jalapeno peppers, basil, three varieties of Zinnia flowers, cosmos, and two varieties of Marigolds. They have had returning customers from across the Copper Country for the past 15 years. They also donate surplus plants to nursing homes, the Oak House group home, and the Michigan Tech University raised bed garden project.
At the start of this school year, (2017-2018) Copper Country Mental Health informed me of their plans to remove the greenhouse structure and build a storage building in its place. They offered to give us the greenhouse at no charge if the Copper Country I.S.D. (C.C.I.S.D.) was interested.
I had a meeting with the superintendent, George Stockero, and my supervisor, Katrina Carlson, regarding the greenhouse structure donation from Copper Country Mental Health. They approved accepting the donation. The decision was made to pursue the structure being constructed at the C.C.I.S.D. Learning Center grounds to provide a greenhouse classroom to all of the C.C.I.S.D. classroom students and staff.
Community Transition Program 