Students raise awareness and money for Greenhouse Project

“Honestly, we didn’t know until last spring about The Greenhouse Project even though the facility is on campus,” said Shaylin Segura, who with fellow Carson High School senior Sophie Waite, have for their Senior Project endeavored to raise community awareness about and $5,000 for The Greenhouse Project.

The funds will be matched at the annual Celebrity Chef & Harvest Dinner, a benefit for GHP, Nov. 7 at Cafe at Adele’s, in Carson City.

As third-year students in Mr. Billy McHenry’s Future Business Leaders of America class, Michele Lewis, CHS Career and Technical Education administrator, had recommended the girls to GHP Board President Karen Abowd, who sought to raise awareness among younger people as to GHP’s mission of providing agriculture education, its role in the Culinary and FFA classes at CHS, and the contribution it makes in feeding Carson’s under served population.

“We thought about it and discussed this over summer and decided it was an important thing to do,” Shaylin said.

In addition to setting up a Generosity by Indiegogo account, where everyone can make donations, they plan to visit area service clubs and spread the word on campus and at elementary schools.

Senior projects require students to complete 15 hours that must stretch and grow the individual.

“This can be anything from learning to ride a motorcycle or playing guitar for instance,” Sophie said. “We decided it would be best to do something for our community; if we can help spread the word about what the Greenhouse does, how it makes a difference, and raise money and awareness, that’s the better thing.”

“We had no idea how extensive the program is; people either don’t know or take the work it does for granted,” Shaylin said. “There are 400 homeless kids in our school district, and most students don’t realize this; we want to expand their horizons a little and show them how much help they and their parents can provide by everyone giving a little.”

Shaylin had spoken recently at a TEDx program themed around creating a community you want to live in.

“This is one of those things the community can do together,” Shaylin said. “Donate one dollar, or five dollars or whatever amount possible, or share (the account information) if you can’t donate ... we’re looking at doing a spare change drive at local schools, because all of it adds up.”

Sophie and Shaylin hope their efforts will be picked up and continued by a senior next year, since ongoing awareness is key to GHP’s lasting success and sustainability.

“This is our call to action that all of us do something for the community that potentially will raise at least $10,000,” Shaylin said. ”This is money that will be used for everything from buying seeds and tools to helping with maintenance or whatever is needed.”

“We have 2,000 students on campus, and if everyone and their parents donates $1,” she said, ”Or if every person who lived in Carson City donated just one dollar, that would be $70,000,” based on population and excepting those who can’t afford that, of course.

“When you look at (the potential for money raised in those terms), you begin to see how it all adds up,” Sophie said.

Both plan to attend college, Shaylin to study business and entrepreneurship and Sophia to study either engineering or business. Thanks in large part to their experiences in FBLA — both have won lucrative competitions and attended the FBLA convention together last year in Atlanta, Ga., they are looking forward to what comes next.

“Whatever we do will always involve looking for ways to lead in our community,” Sophie said.

For organizations wanting a GHP presentation at a meeting or event, email waitesophie@yahoo.com or shaylinsegura@gmail.com. To donate to their Generosity by Indiegogo fund, visit www.generosity.com/community-fundraising/carson-city-greenhouse-project/x/15169333. Dinner tickets can be purchased at Cafe at Adele’s, 1112 N. Carson St., 775-882-3353.