Rationale
In this Information Age, students ask for relevance of atomic structures and interactions to their lifestyles. It is no mystery the abstract ideas of Chemistry are difficult to understand since students do not see them first hand. In my own experiences, I did not fully experience Chemistry until taking my first college course. I want to make understanding this science more accessible to all students at William C. Overfelt High School.
Overfelt is one of 11 high schools of East Side Union High School District in the east side of San Jose, California. San Jose is named the Capital of Silicon Valley due to its central location in a high technology industry and its large population. Being in the heart of continuous technology growth, people living near Overfelt High School struggle with very immediate situations of crime and gang related violence. Some of my students are affiliated with major gangs within this area of San Jose. Many students at Overfelt are bombarded with making difficult life choices not normally experienced by young adults in other areas of San Jose. This often results in their difficulty to focus on academics.
Many families who live in the east side of San Jose is mostly dictated by financial situations. The mean household income is just over $ 60,000 in an area where the cost of single family homes averages around $ 800,000. This results in the majority of families renting homes anywhere from $ 2,000 to 3,000 per month. It is not rare to hear of two and three families living under one roof just to ensure everyone has a roof over their heads and can remain living within this community. Since the majority of families’ income goes to renting their houses, I will promote a better understanding of food preservation to relieve any amount of financial burdens on my students’ families. Many Overfelt students (over 80%) qualify for free or reduced lunch. Some students rush to the lunch lines to eat their meals since this may be the first or only meal they have that day. Our campus also offers bagged lunch for students who are going on a field trip since they are guaranteed a free or reduced lunch during the school day. There is also an opportunity for students and their families to pick up 20 to 30 pound boxes of groceries once a month for free at Overfelt through a food pantry. Our Nutrition Service Team is passionate about ensuring that our students are fed healthy meals during and after school hours. By incorporating food preservation science and techniques into the Chemistry curriculum, students can take these practical tools to share them with their families and utilize them at home.
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