Mast Way students presented their tiny homes projects to the ORCSD School board on April 2, 2025.
On April 2, 2025, Mast Way School Principal Misty Lowe introduced 4th grade educators and students to the ORCSD School Board and invited them to present their Innovative Energy Efficient Tiny Homes Unit project.
The school board presentation may be viewed here.
4th grade teachers Joanne Ahlberg, Erin Bobo-Caron, and Beth Stacy, along with Math and Science Specialist Sarah Farwell and Digital Learning Specialist Susan Leifer, talked about how students built tiny homes with sustainable features.
Six 4th grade students were present to talk about their learning experiences and the process of working with a team to design their tiny homes.
For the last four weeks, Mast Way’s 4th grade students worked in small teams to design and build a model of an energy-efficient tiny home that incorporates sustainability features. They applied the knowledge they gained about energy systems and worked collaboratively to create eco-friendly solutions.
The interdisciplinary learning experience highlighted energy transfer, renewable energy, sustainable solutions, and thoughtful design. Its number one goal was to increase engagement via project-based learning, interdisciplinary design, choice and voice practice, hands-on experimentation, and school visits from community experts.
The project launched the first week of March with presentations by community experts Jeff Stacy, co-owner of Mighty Roots, a company that specializes in designing and building custom high-performance homes, and Matt O'Keefe, Energy Efficiency Program Manager at Unitil.
4th Grade Teacher Erin Bobo-Caron explained: “Our two experts helped kick off the project, tying into 4th grade students' recent studies of energy sources, energy storage, and energy transfer. Jeff and Matt shared valuable insights and real-world examples of energy-efficient home design, sustainability features, and how energy is used and conserved in buildings. Our students were full of great questions, eager to learn more about the practical applications of what they've been studying.”
On April 10, the 4th grade students who presented to the ORCSD School Board will travel to Concord to share their tiny homes projects at the 2025 Innovations in Learning Conference. They will be joined by kindergarten students who will present their LEGO robotics projects on wind turbines, highlighting their foundational understanding of renewable energy concepts, basic robotics, coding, and engineering design process.
Community expert Matt O'Keefe, a Unitil Energy Efficiency Program Manager, visited Mast Way in March 2025 to talk about energy efficiency.
Community expert Jeff Stacy, co-owner of Mighty Roots, visited Mast Way in March 2025 to talk about energy-efficient home design.