What the "HEC?!?" Capping off a Fantastic Semester with a Deep Dive into Human Ecology

What the “HEC?!?” Capping off a Fantastic Semester with a Deep Dive into Human Ecology

Maine Coast Semester reserves the last academic week of each semester for Human Ecology Capstone projects (this is often called HEC Week here on campus). Human ecology is the study of human interaction with the natural world, and HEC projects give students the opportunity to explore a topic of deep, personal interest, come to understand it in a holistic way, and present a viable course of action in response. Through their projects, students gain an understanding of the interconnectedness of the world’s ecosystems and practice the environmental literacy fostered in their other classes.

Semester 60 presented their HEC projects this Monday to faculty, peers, Chewonki staff, and numerous community members. This semester, all students were asked to focus on a human ecology issue in their home communities. Students chose to explore a wide variety of topics, from food waste and environmental education to sustainable fashion and beauty products.

Here’s a quick recap of Semester 60 HECs:

Name	High School	Home Town	Human Ecology Capstone
Miles	Croton-Harmon High School	Croton-on-Hudson, NY	*KinderGARDEN; Evaluating the Emotional, Intellectual and Spiritual Benefits of Outdoor Classroom Settings*
Tzevi	Waynflete School	Waldoboro, ME	*A Chirp off the Old Block; Teaching Youth to be Inspired by and Aware of the Natural World through Birdfeeders*
Guy	Glen Ridge High School	Glen Ridge, NJ	*Increasing Sustainability at Glen Ridge High School*
Abigail	Match Charter Public High School	Boston, MA	*The Usefulness of Community Gardens in Cities*
Courtney	Brookline High School	Brookline, MA	*Alternatives to Road Maintenance Salt in Brookline, MA*
Grace	Concord-Carlisle High School	Carlisle, MA	*Lettuce Eat; the Benefits of Hydroponic Lettuce*
Dani	Ethical Culture Fieldston School	New York, NY	*Food Waste and How It Intersects with Food Insecurity: At Fieldston and Beyond*
Joey	Charlotte Country Day School	Charlotte, NC	*Ecology Short Story; Demonstrating the Importance of Maintaining Sustainable Practices*
Nico	Greely High School	Cumberland Center, ME	*Effects of Warming in the Gulf of Maine on Lobstering*
Blythe	The Nightingale-Bamford School	New York, NY	*Introducing Safer, Green-Certified Cleaning Products to the Nightingale-Bamford School*
Allie	Heights High School	Houston, TX	*Environment and Society: A New Unit; A Curriculum that Includes Environment and Society for Heights High School*
Hannah	Lakeside School	Seattle, WA	*Food for Thought; A student-run Instagram that displays the “behind the scenes” work of the kitchen and the benefits of local food*
Max	Cambridge Rindge and Latin School	Cambridge, MA	*Bike Promotion in Cambridge; Proposal to Increase Biking by Adding a Repair Station and Safer Locking System*
Devon	The Chapin School	New York, NY	*My School Tries Something New: Composting!*
Celia	Saint Ann’s School	New York, NY	*Outdoor Education Through Art for Preschool Students*
Leigh	Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences	Santa Monica, CA	*Together, Crossroads; A Student Mentorship Program to Facilitate Teamwork, Leadership and Reflection*
Anna	Garrison Forest School	Highland, MD	*Dealing with Development; Raising Awareness for the Importance of Farmland in Highland, Maryland*
Evie	Charlotte Country Day	Charlotte, NC	*Water Justice for North Carolina; Raising Awareness for Water Quality Inequity*
Charlie	Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences	Pacific Palisades, CA	*The Story of an Aimless Worm; A Children’s Book on Composting*
Sarah	Newton South High School	Newton, MA	*Sustainability at Summer Camp; Raising Awareness Around Recycling and Environmental Issues at my Summer Camp*
Nick	Arlington High School	Arlington, MA	*Greenhouse Waste Water Treatment in Arlington, MA*
Howard	South Kent School	China	*Why every American Boarding School Should Build an Environmental Therapy Program!*
Amanda	Friends Seminary	New York, NY	*Building on Energy Efficiency; Educating People on How Much Energy Their Buildings Consume*
Ashley	The Nightingale-Bamford School	New York, NY	*Making Sustainable Personal Care Products Accessible*
Bea	Hunter College High School	Brooklyn, NY	*Introducing Place-Based Learning to Hunter College High School*
Roxy	Shead High School	Eastport, ME	*Human Ecology and the Gulf of Maine; How Can We Understand the Warming of the Gulf of Maine through the Lens of Human Ecology?*
Maisey	Northampton High School	Florence, MA	*Textile Recycling; Educating Students about the Social and Environmental Problems Created by Fast Fashion Culture*
Booth	Central High School	St. Paul, MN	*Land Ethic; Creating a Framework for a Sustainable Fashion Company*
Fiona	The Thacher School	San Rafael, CA	*Severe Drought in Ojai, California; Exploring the Short and Long-term Solutions and Citizen Initiatives*
True	Packer Collegiate Institute	Brooklyn, NY	*Gowanus Canal Clean Up; Raising Awareness For Volunteerism through Music*
Eva	Carrboro High School	Chapel Hill, NC	*Raising Awareness of Fruit Stickers in Compost & Soil*
Bridget	The Chapin School	New York, NY	*Being Green in NYC; Raising Awareness for Eco-Friendly Practices*
Lorise	Match Charter Public High School	Boston, MA	*School Food Distributors and Their Effect on Students in Boston, MA*
Jess	Concord Academy	Elmhurst, NY	*Reducing Food Waste by Addressing Food Insecurity*
Amaya	Milton Academy	Newton, MA	*Examining Wealth Inequity through Environmental Education in Boston Schools*
Claire	Yarmouth High School	Yarmouth, ME	*The Power of Protest Music: Climate Change in Maine*
Alex	Greenwich Academy	Greenwich, CT	*Tick Prevention and Awareness*
Louisa	Concord-Carlisle High School	Concord, MA	*Spreading Awareness Around Invasives in the Sudbury- Assabet- Concord River Watershed*
Wyeth	Brunswick High School	Brunswick, ME	*Sustainable Land-Based Salmon Farming*
Sophie	F.W. Parker Charter Essential School	Littleton, MA	*Sailing with a Purpose; Exploring Organizations with a Mission to Bring People Together through Sailing*
Tamar	Moses Brown School	Riverside, RI	*Connecting Refugees in Providence with Local Community Gardens*