We are pleased to have hosted five intrepid educators in our Dumpster home over the spring and summer. Educators working with any grade level or type of educational organization are invited to stay in the Dumpster through our Home School Residency Program. During the residency period, educators stay in the Dumpster home for one night …
The Dumpster Project was excited to bring Dumpster Science experiences to Thinkery campers for a second summer. The Thinkery, Austin’s interactive children’s museum, runs a series of themed summer day camps for K-5th graders. Campers investigate subjects like water and the human body using the Thinkery’s trademark blend of science and play. The Hydroexplorers and …
High school students in Skillpoint Alliance’s Velocity program applied problem-based learning to create Dumpster Project-inspired solutions. Skillpoint’s Velocity program provides hands-on training to STEM students who tackle real-world problems for their business or nonprofit clients. Students form consulting “companies” who research and design their client’s projects, complete a business and financial plan, and prototype or …
Note from The Dumpster Project: Betty Jenkins is the Principal of Blackshear Fine Arts Academy in Austin, TX. Born in Los Angeles and raised in both Chicago and El Paso, she has held both teaching and administrative positions her in the AISD for nearly two decades. The Dumpster Project has been working closely with Blackshear Elementary for …
One of the main goals of Phase II is establishing a information baseline. We need to collect data about every aspect of Dumpster life so we have a basis for comparison when we move to the Ultimate Phase III Dumpster. The first suite of sensors are tracking the Dumpster conditions – Dumpster weather. We launched this …
Read more “Live Dumpster weather – the data is coming from inside the can!”
Air conditioning in a 36 sq. ft. dumpster, part of a sustainability experiment on the Huston-Tillotson University campus, has arrived just in time for the August Texas heat. Phase II of the experiment will include a connection to the electrical grid, household appliances, and most amenities found in a modern home. Phase I, which launched …
Come on in and make yourself comfortable in our fully furnished 33 square foot house. Did we mention it’s a dumpster? While the project could have been centered around a large cargo container or a tiny house, we decided on the dumpster. A dumpster is the perfect symbol to present themes on waste and consumption in …
The Dumpster Project invites learners of all ages to rethink sustainability through the quirky task of turning a dumpster into a home. As we investigate the impacts of modern life, we will learn how a happy healthy (dumpster) home can help us have a happy healthy planet. The playful and imaginative tone of the Dumpster Project …
The Dumpster Project is a design experiment. We are using an open-ended, iterative process to convert the dumpster into a home. We’re not sure we will ever get to the ultimate dumpster, but we’re still working towards that goal. Where are we now? Over the course of the year, the dumpster was renovated inside and out …