At Carver Middle School in Delray Beach, WiseTribe is sparking an inspiring project: creating a modern-day replica of George Washington Carver’s Jesup Wagon. This innovative initiative aims to blend education with a healthy lifestyle, mirroring Carver’s historical efforts to educate and empower.
George Washington Carver, a genius scientist and devout educator, famously utilized the Jesup Wagon—a mobile educational unit—to bring agricultural knowledge and scientific advancements to farmers directly. Named after Morris K. Jesup, a white financier from New York who funded the wagon, it was equipped with tools, seeds, and informative materials. Carver's wagon ventured into rural communities to teach farmers about crop rotation and sustainable agriculture, improving their livelihoods and health through better farming techniques and nutritional practices.
Inspired by Carver’s legacy of repurposing materials based on what was accessible, this design project employs this same sensibility. While a little wobbly, our first version of the Jesup Wagon was nothing more than a four-shelf, metal baker’s rack and it served its purpose!
Carver Middle School’s Jesup Wagon V1 (version one) was recently up upgraded! A breakfast cart originally used during COVID to distribute food to families as they drove through the school carline has become the next version of this mobile classroom.
Just like V1, this mobile classroom is making stops around the school campus to engage students in hands-on learning activities focused on food, health, wellness, and agriculture. This "moving school" is facilitating learning experiences that are both educational and engaging, aiming to foster a culture of health and wellness among students.
The Jesup Wagon project at Carver Middle School was schemed up in collaboration with a small group of creative educators who are seeking novel ways to bring a culture of health to their middle school.
Stay tuned for updates on how the Jesup Wagon will bring health education to life on Carver Middle School’s campus and in our local community.
Special thanks to Palm Health Foundation for making this Culture of Health learning project possible!
