Blankenburg School's Green City Mural
We've added a new grade to our school this year and will next year. So we tried to think of something for the 7th graders to do that was different from all the other grades. Our Science teacher got a grant from Green Cities to investigate the greening of the city. Each class has planted a tree around the school, we are starting a recycling program and artists agreed to help design a "Model For a Green City" mural on the third floor.

The seventh grade designed it, discussed problems and solutions and helped in placing most of the tiles. Every child in the school from age 3 up got a chance to place a tile on the mural and the artists will come in next week to do the grouting. Then we'll have the unveilng.

But I couldn't wait to show you our Something Beautiful* here in inner-city Philly.
A view of Center City from the third floor hallway. You can see the Amtrak train that runs right by the school across the street.
The neighborhood is shown here. We have Fairmount Park 2 blocks away, empty factories that line the street, row houses, streets and the Schuylkill River not too far away.
I love the river/ocean part of the mural with the ceramic fish.
Each seventh grader made their own tile showing a problem or a solution to the "greening" of the city.
More mural