2025: The Story So Far

2025 is our 10th year trying to make sustainability and applied STEM accessible to all. But it has been a challenge no doubt. The calendar here shows the journey so far. Our $100K operational budget was slashed by $75K in March with the loss of three big grants. There were 12 kids who had been training to be leaders for three months. I could not let these kids down. But now I am in great danger.

January - March

MenTerns and Learning Leadership

MenTerns Gathered for the January training

12 MenTerns trained in January, February, and March to teach the applied STEAM design challenges and skills required to problem-solve at Mezzacello. Several of the design challenges were a ctually created by the MenTerns and all of the summer camps were peer-reviewed and named by the MenTerns.

Trainings were conducted via zoom. Topics covered were the respect/self-respect paradox, basics of leadership and encouraging and promoting their followers to support the outlined goals and learn conflict-resolution and team-building skills. In April, all MenTerns came to Mezzacello Urban Farm and ran three design challenges to experience what they had learned in real time.

[ Back to Top ]

March

$100K Budget Slashed by DOGE

Three grants lost in 2025

Three awarded grants were canceled by DOGE and Mezzacello could not rebound. These grants were expected to help pay for attendance to camps and purchase materials, supplies, and staff. In addition, three major design challenges and two camps were tied directly to two of thosse agencies.

Projects that were canceled in 2025 include

• Using the NASA Terra Rover to track atmospheric and soil variables to research the role of the five major eco-geological cycles and using NOAA satellite data

• Expanding the Environmental and Climate Justice Academy

• Tracking health and social-emotional indexes to teaching and learning with sustainable methodologies on urban kids

[ Back to Top ]

April

Present Budget to Mezzacello Board, Canceled Camps and MenTerns Were Crushed

It was then that I called together my executive board here at Mezzacello to report on the impending collapse of funding. The board saw that it was not possible to run programming with a $75K deficit. I was asked by the board to cancel all summer programming with the MenTerns and the 15 programs and 12 workshops we had planned.

The MenTerns were crushed and Parents were very disappointed. Everyone understood the position we were in. I spent the weekend thinking about how hard these kids had worked on these programs. I amde the decision that I would not cancel the camps.

By the following week, five of the MenTern’s families had found alternative programming for their kids. That was to be expected. The eight MenTerns that remained were all in, and now I just had to find kids whose families were willing to let their kids experience a summer camp or workshop at Mezzacello Urban Farm.

[ Back to Top ]

May

Why I Had To Change This Direction

MenTerns training at Mezzacello Urban Farm

I believe in this mission. These kids deserved to lead and learn. They were willing to do something new and scary for them.

I was uncomfortable with the message that I was sending to these kids. That when things got difficult, I would just give up. It’s a terrible message.

This was a problem that needed a solution. I also did not want to live with regret. I did not want to regret not believing in these kids.

[ Back to Top ]

June - August

10 Camps Were Ran at Mezzacello Urban Farm

THE SUMMER CAMPS

• Life Finds A Way - Learn More
  Exploring the intersection between biology, ecology, farming, and STEM

• Power Wranglers - Learn More
  Introducing young minds to the basics of physical electricity

• More Power - Learn More
  With a basic understanding of electricity and STEM, this camp puts it to work

• Atomic Farming - Learn More
  Quantum effects in nature and exploring the systems of chemistry and biology on a farm

• How Mezzacello Harnessed The Wind - Learn More
  Read a book and build a power system with a wind turbine

• Simple Machines And You - Learn More
  Introducing the six simple machines and basic power tools to build projects

• Partners Not Pets - Learn More
  Caring, treating, and managing farm animals and exploring their roles on an urban farm

• Ecology Connections - Learn More
  How we integrate technology and systems into our integrated ecologies

• Reimagine Recycling - Learn More
  Reframing what recycling means when you see everything as an option in nature

• Life Below Water - Learn More
  Water is a valuable resource and this camp brings it all into context, capture, clean, provide

• Girl Scouts of Ohio’s Heartland Silver Award Sustainable Agriculture Camp - Learn More
  Two Girl Scouts created an entire program on agriculture for elementary school kids hosted by Mezzacello Urban Farm and co-taught by my MenTern, Amaya and her friend, Tilly

Read the MenTerns Blogposts Here

[ Back to Top ]

September

Ending Up In Debt

Ending the summer season, as I was writing final reports for the grants I did get this year, I realized how much debt I had taken on. The truth is that I racked up a lot of debt.

October

Zeffy Fundaiser

Our Fundraiser is live

November - December

What’s Next for Mezzacello