Valley Academy Students Take Action to Protect Butterflies

GRANADA HILLS, CA--(Marketwired - Dec 22, 2015) -  The students of Valley Academy of Arts & Sciences (VAAS) are proud to announce an interdisciplinary project involving Biology and Creative Writing Classes that aims to mitigate the decreasing monarch butterfly population. According to Scientific American, "populations of the iconic and beloved monarch butterfly have dropped an astonishing 96.5 percent over the past few decades..." In response to these statistics, students from these two classes have designed and created gardens of milkweed and colorful flowers to provide monarchs sustenance as they make their annual migratory trip between Mexico and Canada. 

The curriculum at VAAS stresses the importance of interdisciplinary and project-based learning to help students connect more meaningfully to the material while providing them real-world applications for this knowledge. The VAAS Mission Statement articulates that, through an integrated study of the arts, sciences, math, humanities, and technology, graduates will be able to communicate effectively, think critically, solve problems, and work collaboratively in diverse populations. 

"I think this project is going to teach our students -- and future generations -- how to take care of our natural surroundings," said Teacher Giacomo Delgado. "At the same time, our students need to learn the importance of being eco-friendly and to learn how to take care of our environment."

"I think it really matters that our students are involved in the interconnectivity of the natural world and how it impacts our lives," said Principal Kelly Hanock. "Having the milkweed sanctuary on campus will be a good reminder of these responsibilities." 

About the Valley Academy of Arts & Sciences
VAAS is located at 10445 Balboa Blvd. in Granada Hills and serves students grades 9-12. VAAS incorporates an innovative college-preparatory visual and performing arts curriculum to develop students' intellectual skills and creative talents in order to attain measurable artistic and academic excellence.