Magenta House is a civic engagement program focused on project-centered learning. It spans traditional disciplines, offers STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) opportunities, and can meet service learning requirements.
We’re painting Los Angeles Magenta and need your help (no buckets of paint required, but bring all your water- and power-saving devices and know-how)! The program is for middle school students with a passion for the region they call home and the future they’ll be inheriting.
The Magenta House program offers an in-depth, project-based learning curriculum which teaches students to become effective social entrepreneurs for water and power sustainability. We call them Magenta House Architects.
The program includes a science fair-like Expo showcasing water and power sustainability projects developed by middle school students; and a professionally-designed Accelerator program to help students deliver winning Expo submissions.
The Accelerator delivers both the resources and mentorship needed for any student to develop a competitive, real-world project which can make a true difference for water-conservation and power-efficiency in their communities.
We offer:
–teacher and student guides;
–a specially-created project management system to help students track progress with their projects from beginning to end;
–education modules in project development and implementation;
–mentors and specialist advisors to inform student work, and
–student project funding to underwrite costs up to a cap.
The idea was conceived during a Water and Power brainstorming Blitz which brought diverse communities together with the design, architecture, and landscape programs from local higher educational institutions.
The aim: to re-imagine homes across Los Angeles Council District 5 into models of efficiency and conservation that stand out from the crowd – as if they were painted top to bottom magenta.
We hope to turn the whole of Los Angeles Magenta, toward an energy-efficient and water-conscious future, with LA’s youth leading the way.
Participating schools
Magenta House Seasons
Magenta House ’23
2023 Season
Magenta House ’23 challenges middle school students across LAUSD to create water and power sustainability projects.
Magenta House ’22
2022 Season
Magenta House’s program for civic engagement launched across four different middle schools in 2022.
Magenta House – Resources
Educational outreach provides homeowners and renters alike DIY tools to turn their homes Magenta.
Magenta House – Events
Pop-up and neighborhood events teach water conservation and power efficiency.
Selected Blog Posts
Thank you!
Magenta House Accelerator and Expo are initiatives of Pando Populus made possible by Los Angeles Unified School District and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and originally developed in association with Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Koretz.
