Tag Archives: Hancock County

So Grow and Do It…

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At Dani’s Dreams Outdoor Education Center, we’re growing vegetables and flowers. Volunteers are weeding, watering and watching the plants grow.

Thanks to rain barrels donated by the Hancock County Soil and Water Conservation District, watering is easier. Zion Lutheran Daycare children gave the green bean, pumpkin and corn seeds their first drink with water from the rain barrels – conservation in action!

You can grow your own green beans:

Use a container filled with dirt or find a spot for a garden in your backyard.

Get some green bean seeds, (Bush beans are easier to grow than pole beans.)

Dig a hole about half a finger deep and drop in two or three seeds every four inches.

Cover them up lightly with dirt.

Watch, water and weed  – you should see a sprout in about a week.

In about 55 days, you will have green beans to pick just like at Dani’s Dreams!

If you want to be a part of Watching ‘Em Grow in our Community Garden, email dgriffins@netzero.com or call 317-640-4430.

Let us know how your garden is growing… Post your pictures and comments here or on the Dani’s Dreams Outdoor Education Center’s Facebook page.

They did it and so can you!

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Children at Zion Lutheran Daycare joined with Dani’s Dreams to plan and plant the four plots in the Community Garden at the Go Green Discovery Center June 14. Students then put on their reporter hats and will keep the community up to date with progress at the gardens.

If your Scout, Daycare, Preschool or School group wants to have a unique outdoor activity or project, email dgriffins@netzero.com or call 317-640-4430 and Dani’s Dreams Outdoor Education Center will work with you to make it happen – Dream It – Do It!

Hope For The Future

Lutheran High School senior awarded Dani’s Dreams Scholarship

A stellar record of academic pursuits and community service characterize Brock Turner, Greenfield, the 2013 winner of the Dani Griffin Innovation in Education Memorial Scholarship. Turner will attend either DePauw University, Wabash College or Hanover College to study biology and communications.

“Whether it is research, medicine or another field within the sciences, I am confident that I can make a difference,” Turner wrote in his scholarship essay. “There will always be diseases to cure, problems to solve and species to help. For example, God created each and every one of the animals, people and plants on this earth. It is our job to help them and save them from sickness, harm and premature death. Science allows us to do so.”

Turner, son of James and Tracy Turner, is a member of National Honor Society and received All Conference Academic Honors in the Indiana Crossroads conference. He is a varsity letterman for the Saints in swimming and cross country, served as a Statehouse Ambassador and is an American Red Cross certified lifeguard, CPR and first aid. He was Zion Lutheran School salutatorian in 2009.

“Science allows us to get an inside look at what God has created for us on this earth. I believe it will only strengthen our faith if we learn more about science,” Turner wrote. “We have learned of marvelous objects that point to God. It is scientific discoveries that merge science and faith; all things lead to the cross.”

 

 

 

DREAM IT – DO IT! Local Students Share Their Talents, Creativity, Ideas

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Southern Hancock students’ creative talents will be on display this year in the sixth annual Dani’s Dreams Memorial Walk/Run Aug. 3 at New Palestine High School.

Ali Kinder, a student at Zion Lutheran School is the winner of the T-shirt design contest. Kinder’s design will be featured on T-shirts for the event. Second place goes to Katie Taylor, a fifth grader at Zion Lutheran School and third place winner is Rylee Morris, sixth grader at Zion Lutheran School. Their designs will be posted online and used in walk/run brochures and on posters for the event.

Essay contest winner is Emma Mann, third grader at New Palestine Elementary. Her essay, which will be in walk/run brochures follows:

Peace Bear

By Emma Mann

New Palestine Elementary School

3rd grade

Everybody has different dreams. One person wants to be an astronaut. One wants to be a famous singer or a mailman, but my dream is a bit different. I like how people are happy all over the world. Some people are happy about a new toy. I am happy because I am well. Most people think that might be silly, but really it’s not.

One day I dreamed I could even spread a smile over sick people’s faces. So wherever they go, they’ll always feel happy and feel like something special. So I dreamed up the idea of giving a bear to my Aunt Julie who got cancer and was really sick. It was just to make her smile and have something to hold.

When I got the bear back, my teacher got cancer, so I gave the bear to her. I wanted to cheer her up too.

The bear is blue with peace signs all over it, and I call it Peace Bear. I am still waiting to get it back from my teacher. See it is like a traveling bear. I give sick people the bear with peace signs on it so they can have peace in their surgery.

I know I can do nothing about curing cancer, but I love how there are lovely smiles covering their faces. I feel like a hero to do that.

I just found out there is another teacher that has cancer at our school and when Peace Bear returns, I will give it to her and I hope she grins too.

Someday when I grow up I hope to have a bunch of bears to send out to sick people and I hope to see lots of people full of smiles looking back at me.

That’s my dream.

Dani’s Dreams Outdoor Education Center is a resource for Hancock County schools, teachers, Scouts and all community groups for hands-on, innovative environmental education opportunities and state standards-based activities and projects. We’ll design a one-of-a-kind tour, activity or project for YOUR CLASS, based on YOUR NEEDS at NO CHARGE. Email dgriffins@netzero.com or call 317-640-4430 – Dream It, Do It!

 

 

Learning, Dreaming, Doing – Sugar Creek Students Share Their Knowledge

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The highlight of Dani’s Dreams Earth Day Event was a special presentation by Mrs. Deb Weiler’s fourth grade students at Sugar Creek Elementary in New Palestine. They are partnering with Dani’s Dreams on a composting project. Look for more information on this endeavor in the future. Thanks so much Mrs. Weiler and her smart and caring students who shared their knowledge – Sarah Adam, Sierra Patrick, Madison Schmitt, Mia Thomas, and Laney Scott.

Dani’s Dreams Outdoor Education Center is a resource for Hancock County schools, teachers, Scouts and all community groups for hands-on, innovative environmental education opportunities and state standards-based activities and projects. We’ll design a one-of-a-kind tour, activity or project for YOUR CLASS, based on YOUR NEEDS at NO CHARGE. Email dgriffins@netzero.com or call 317-640-4430 – Dream It, Do It!

Create, Explore, Discover – Dream It, Do It!

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More than 30 students from Zion Lutheran Sugar Creek and New Palestine elementary schools became Nature Detectives, went digging for fossils, arrowheads and bones, learned about the water cycle and created bird feeders and other crafts April 12 at Dani’s Dreams Outdoor Education Center’s Earth Day Dedication Event. The afternoon was topped off with Mama Nita’s pizza, a supporter of Dani’s Dreams, and a special Dani’s Dreams video report by Katie and Kara Morris and Sarah, Emily and Sam Adam. A special thanks goes to all of Dani’s family who helped to make the event happen and who are the heart of Dani’s Dreams — you are all fantastic people!

Dani’s Dreams Outdoor Education Center is a resource for Hancock County schools, teachers, Scouts and all community groups for hands-on, innovative environmental education opportunities and state standards-based activities and projects. We’ll design a one-of-a-kind tour, activity or project for YOUR CLASS, based on YOUR NEEDS at NO CHARGE. Email dgriffins@netzero.com or call 317-640-4430 – Dream It, Do It!

Celebrating Earth Day – Making Ideas Happen at Dani’s Dreams

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Recycling and the water cycle became hands-on learning experiences for Zion Lutheran School students thanks to Dani’s Dreams Outdoor Education Center. Dani’s Dreams partnered with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to bring special Earth Day presentations to all grades on April 12.

Preschool through grade four students learned how to recycle and saw the products made from recycled materials. Students in grades 5-8 became water drops and traveled through the phases of the water cycle, picking up beads for their water cycle bracelets

Thanks to Stacy Jones, of IDEM who conducted the presentations.

Dani’s Dreams Outdoor Education Center is a resource for Hancock County schools, teachers, Scouts and all community groups for hands-on, innovative environmental education opportunities and state standards-based activities and projects. We’ll design a one-of-a-kind tour, activity or project for YOUR CLASS, based on YOUR NEEDS at NO CHARGE. Email dgriffins@netzero.com or call 317-640-4430 – Dream It, Do It!

“It’s not about what it is, it’s about what it can become.”

Dani’s Dreams is all about growing, discovering, becoming – little seeds are planted, take root and reach toward the sky. The Go Green Discovery Center is in the seedling stage, changing and morphing to meet the needs of Hancock County schoolchildren. Be a part of the process – meaningful, environmental activities, crafts and demonstrations are planned this Friday 3:30-5 p.m. We’ll end with a showing of “The Lorax” and snacks.

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Dream it – Do it!

Do you have big dreams?

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The deadline is fast approaching for the T-shirt design contest at Dani’s Dreams — April 10. Come to the Earth Day Dedication Event April 12, 3:30-6 p.m. and vote for your favorite design! Fun, food and lots of activities are planned – be a part of it!

Every Little Drop Helps Dani’s Dreams Grow!

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Dream It – Do It! at Dani’s Dreams
Hancock County students can take the lead and Dream It – Do It! during the fifth annual Dani’s Dreams Outdoor Education Center Earth Day Dedication Event April 12, 3:30-5 p.m. at the center, located at Zion Lutheran School, 6513 W. 300 S, New Palestine.
Join the student-led interactive demonstrations on recycling, composting, and saving water; be a Dani’s Dreams Nature Detective and win prizes, create crafts, sign up for space in the Community Garden and tour the Go Green Discovery Center that features interactive exhibits on environmental and conservation education.
Stay for a free will donation pizza supper and a showing of “The Lorax” and don’t forget to vote on drawings for the T-Shirt design contest for the Dani’s Dreams Walk/Run Aug. 3.
Bring your nickels, dimes, pennies and quarters for our “Every little drop in the bucket helps Dani’s Dreams grow” to raise funds for a garden watering system.
Learn how you can be a member of Dani’s Dreams Club and make a difference in the world around you. Dani’s Dreams Outdoor Education Center is open to all classes, Scout Troops and community groups for state standard-environmental education lessons, projects and activities – AT NO CHARGE.
Log onto to http://www.danisdreamsoutdooredcenter.wordpress.com or email dgriffins@netzero.com for more information.