Development Roadmap

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Startup Status Our path, in anticipated chronological order, is set by our mission. We build schools in developing regions and teach innovation education to create opportunities for local staff, students and their families. Development will not be completely linear and tasks could proceed in parallel with more resources. Our foundational work as a volunteer group matured to the point where public outreach was the next step. With limited time and personal resources we are near the limit of what we can achieve. So to build our schools we are reaching out with this site, media offerings and more.

Local Volunteer Organization (complete): Our core team and a number of online volunteers are moving SRG forward. Due to local health unit ordinances local volunteer recruitment in Ottawa, ON, Canada has stopped.
Phase I Relocation (complete): Nora M. Mendez, one of our core team, is currently in the Philippines preparing for local operations. She is scouting campus sites, overseeing renovations and building a nursery / seed bank for the experimental farm.
Local First Principles (version complete): This fundamental SRG policy was developed early on to address issues of global operations, local economic development, adoption of social business principles, economic network structures for SMART and more.
Basecamp Modular Design (version complete): Our prototype campus design is modular, adaptable to a variety of sites in tropical and subtropical climates. Until we select a site and hire a local architect the design work cannot significantly advance. At that time we will use our various modules to create an overall design adapted to the property.
General Curriculum Development (version complete): SMART is a project driven innovation education program designed to evolve with the campus, our students, academic partnerships and external trends. We continue to collect and develop resources for focus fields, ESL and student projects but the general framework is viable.
Focus Projects (ongoing): Our program will eventually encompass a wider range of fields, however we are focusing on space science and food systems to start. Ours is an interdisciplinary approach as so our students do not study in ‘silos’ but the initial foci are quite specific.
Homeoffice Renovation (ongoing): We are renovating our existing property in the Philippines to reinforce the structure, modernize utilities and add an office area. Adding extra refrigeration and specific facilities to expand our seed bank and plant nursery is also planned when budget permits.
Vlog Beta (ongoing): Launching the vlog is our first major public outreach effort. We talk science on camera, then help people in need by building schools.
Champions’ Club Launch (complete): Our Ko-fi portal is the club page and payment processor. Please do join the club, your monthly support makes a big impact.

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Online Operations We are confident that our designs and strategies are sound. This web site and our media content is our first major public outreach effort. Revenue from our online operations has the near term potential to support our next stages of development. Building basecamp, our prototype campus, is achievable and sustainable on the income of a small online media operation (YouTube, Facebook, affiliate programs, subscriptions, etc.). This is possible because our three founders: Nora M. Mendez, Christopher J. Kent and Richard W. Blum are willing to relocate to the Philippines and accept significant reductions in salary. Our efficient modular design and lean, vertically integrated, concept also makes this possible.

Champions’ Club Server (ongoing): Developing the bots, configuration and most importantly the community of the server runs parallel to building the Champions’ Club and a key revenue stream online.
Multiplatform Vlog Content: Hosting our vlog content on multiple platforms is essential to audience reach and the social impact that allows. We are producing video that can be divided into clips and distributed as audio only podcast. The workflow of editing, uploading and quality control will be a focus at this stage.
Development Wiki Updates: We have years of notes and only the best of them will make it to the wiki due to a lack of time. We will publish a limited selection of resources – updating this site and the wiki as we develop volg episodes.
Volunteer NPO (MSS) Formation: Starting a nonprofit for our volunteer operations in Canada has significant advantages over our current operations as a social business. The operational costs, compliance requirements, etc. will be justified at modest levels of online income and volunteer interest. The primary factor is balancing time spent properly administering an NPO and actually fulfilling our mission. This cannot be achieved with an entirely volunteer staff and this marks the point when one or more of our founders needs to be formally employed at SRG.
STEAM & Citizen Science Partnerships: Online operations allow us to partner worldwide with a wide range of STEM, STEAM, academic and social impact organizations. We are also interested in promoting citizen science programs.
Curriculum Development – Freshman Focused ESL: The first students on campus, like all of our first years (freshman year students), will focus on core skills. Specifically English as Second Language and learning the vocabulary for our focus fields and their anticipated specialty (chosen in their sophomore year).
Curriculum Development – Student Projects: Aside from a series of projects that directly apply to this development roadmap, the Champions’ Club, social media, educational partners and the public will be regularly asked to contribute project ideas.

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Philippines Startup This point in time is purely decided by funding level. Up until this point SRG will have been running on the efforts of our founders and occasional volunteers while building initial revenue streams. Online operations will have allowed one or two of us to work on SRG full time and we will have the capital for relocation, etc. as outlined below.

Phase II Relocation: Chris will relocate from Canada to the Philippines at this point.
Expanded Media Content: The regular vlog centric content that has evolved up to this point will shift along with location.
Homeoffice Digital Systems: Homeoffice will be our primary digital hub for some time and a backup facility after that. Uploading content to the web and using cloud services will be vital to our project. Fortunately our first site has acceptable broadband fiber service. We will run two independently connected LANs, one for general use and one dedicated to office use.
Homeoffice Solar PV Prototype: Power grids in the Philippines are unreliable, so our first digital hub will have off grid backup power. This small system, possibly a set of small systems from competing providers, allows us to evaluate local options for solar array installation and component supply before investing in the larger basecamp array.
Homeoffice Solar Thermal Prototype: We will build a small roof or tower mounted solar thermal collector, of the thermosiphon type, according to our internal designs. We plan a range of options that depend on local factors and available funds. Our current plan is to select the two leading designs we have at the time and prototype them both.
Homeoffice Foodplus Prototype: Our vertically integrated food system uses solar thermal power to heat water to 90-95 degrees C. We then use that water to cook sous-vide, batch pasteurize or to pre-heat dry thermal mass in other appliances. Direct solar electric (not using expensive battery storage banks), biomass pyrolysis, or LPG is used to boost the temperature of that dry thermal mass to required temperature (i.e. 350 F / 177 C plus for baking and the Maillard reaction to brown food). Water can also be boiled, used in steamers, with pressure cookers, etc. by adding extra energy. Large insulated thermal masses can keep temperature for days, which smooths the time curve of intermittent solar gains. Our Foodplus recipes and menu plans account for solar power timing and temperature drop off relative to preparation schedules.
NPO Formation: A variety of options for non-profit operation and on campus business structures exist in the Philippines. Some, like a formal foundation, represent significant overhead cost but offer great flexibility. Others, such as agricultural and / or educational cooperatives are more attractive but require consultation with local authorities (municipal and provincial) for further evaluation.
Local Educational Partnerships: We will recruit students with the help of local educators and community leaders. Highschool graduates in need will be invited to participate after an interview process. The radius of recruitment depends on local transit links (tricycles, jeepneys) as most local students will not be residing on campus. In exceptional cases where a daily commute is not possible we will be able to offer dormitory space. Resident students will have periodic transit when we send staff to market, shopping, on their own commutes, etc. We intend to cultivate partnerships with local high schools and post-secondary institutions so joint projects with the community of local educators are anticipated.
Basecamp Site Selection: We are currently evaluating a number of properties in the area of San Jose City and Munoz, in the province of Nueva Ecija, central Luzon, Philippines. Prior to phase II relocation, etc. it is too early to select a site as significant due diligence is involved. This process includes but is not limited to: physical risk assessment, environmental tests, local economic scans, verifying a clear and valid land title and acquisition of the property. These must be peri-urban sites, the leading candidates are working or recently working farms without flooding issues. Rice fields are not ideal, and orchards or vegetable farms are preferred. The department of natural resources mandates that certain rare mature trees are not cut down. This will lead us to employ a “permaculture island” technique where the tree’s root structure is preserved with appropriate ground cover / decking and intercropping is done around the tree. These factors and more will on site attention.

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Campus Startup Our first campus is a prototype, a testbed. The modular design is both simpler and more flexible than may be required for our eventual main campus. It is also extremely lean, something we can build and operate with limited resources. We assume no useable structures on the property but renovations to existing buildings could provide a welcome boost. This startup build will be extremely well documented, as will normal operations that follow. This will provide a wealth of engaging, educational content to share with the world. We will all learn from our successes and missteps as we enjoy and explore.

Basecamp Site Preparation: In the following order: Installation of a perimeter fence, partial leveling, excavation for drainage and storage ponds, soil amendment, water roof, solar roof and irrigation system build out.
Mobile Modular Units (MMU) Deployment I: We will deploy 4 x hab modules, 2 x systems modules, 1 x cantina and some site infrastructure. These will be covered with a permanent solar shade / rain collection roof. MMUs will have improved versions of our prototype solar thermal systems. These will be scaled down versions of our café kitchen systems. This solar PV array will be determined depending on hardware availability and cost though it will have a peak capacity of 4kW with battery banks sized based on cost.
Small Experimental Farm: After our irrigation setup we will do our first plantings of reliable, local crops. Many of these plants are legumes that fix nitrogen, which will help with soil development on a new farm plot. We are heavily intercropping for biodiversity and staggered seasonal harvests. This is not going to be the final form of the property as we will attempt to discover local cultivars with the more common crops. Our trees are all selected for a two year to first fruit from seedling. We will also consult with Central Luzon State University to see what they have available in their nurseries. As of 2019 Nora has already been testing most of these crops at the Homeoffice property for promising cultivars.
First Local Student Team: Our first freshman class, likely limited to one team of seven students, will be selected.
Foodplus Channel: Though we will have food on our main SRGSMART channel at this point we will phase this content to a dedicated media channel of its own.
Phase III Relocation: Richard, our chief agronomist, will be relocating to the new site from Canada at this point.
Media Production Team: Students and online volunteers will form a mixed media production team at this point. Students will begin learning 3D modeling and animation with open source tools. Some investment in software will be made at this point, to cover what cannot easily be done with open source.
MMU Deployment II: This will include the mobile facilities we need to support an effective build team for the core structure builds without disrupting other operations on the farm.
Café Core Build: Depending on site conditions, architect input and available funding a version of our Bistro-Café with Sari Sari convenience store will be built. It will not be cosmetically finished to a high standard on the interior but will have extra systems and features relative to a standard industrial build. We estimate cost to be equivalent to a mid-range residential project in the national capital region.
Expanded Local Student Cohort: Due to the increased capacity from our Café Core build (the teamspace and Foodplus facilities) more first year students will be invited to attend.
Café Core Systems Upgrade: The major expense for our core structure builds will be the digital and energy systems they require. The campus is designed to be self-documenting, so that in all work spaces high quality audio & video can be captured on demand. High bandwidth Wi-Fi LANs will also be required for staff and student devices. Our workflow is planned around android OS devices with a few dedicated PCs for hardware intensive applications such as video editing, animation and research simulations. This upgrade may stretch into normal campus operations below if our budget requires progress in stages.

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Campus Operations When our first student team is active and our first core structure is functional the campus will be considered operational – students plus a structure equals a school. The Sari Sari store and bistro-café will be open for business.

Aquaponics / Aeroponics / Algaculture Prototypes: Our first generation closed loop agronomy systems will be constructed with locally available materials, drawing on international supply chains to the minimum feasible extent. For some items, namely pressurized pumps, we will attempt to select reliable hardware that can be repaired on site. Hydraulic and pneumatic systems that can be manufactured on campus are under consideration. No digital technology essential to the function of these systems will be included. This does not include research test equipment, though such apparatus will not be integral to our prototypes. Click to know more: aquaponics / aeroponics / algaculture.
Mobile Canning Line: We will invest in the equipment for a canning line based on rolling carts and tables. When large harvests happen we will set up the canning line to preserve batches of produce for later use or sale. When not in use, the line stations will be put in storage.
Sophomore Cohort Specialization: With expanded agronomy systems and our first core structure now operating it will be time to bring in a new first year class (freshmen) and for the second year students (sophomores) to decide on their specializations. Students will be familiar with all basic roles on campus but as they form stable teams they will have to divide roles and begin more advanced training in those roles.
Studio Upgrade(s): With more workshop activity to come on campus we will need to establish additional noise insulated studios for students to film in. Our initial offices and indoor kitchen will be quiet sets but dedicated production spaces will be required.
Workshop Upgrade: We will add larger stationary tools for woodworking and establish our machining / welding welding shops. Adding the ability to machine metal and possibly a kiln to dry our own lumber will greatly expand the range of items we can manufacture on campus. This is vital for our research program as laboratory equipment is notoriously expensive.
Mycolab & Mushroom Farm: We will build and operate a conventional small scale mushroom farm with an end to end process. From laboratory and pasteurization to harvest and processing, our operation will produce mushroom products such as antipasto, dried and powdered mushrooms. All of these products will have long shelf life. Growth media, such as rice straw, wood chips and inedible agricultural biomass will be sourced locally – even from our own farm. This provides us with a second farm, as our production of plants is limited by the amount of sunlight on our land. Fungi can thrive in enclosed spaces with minimal or no illumination, below or behind our photosynthesizing crops.
Core Café Finishing: Detail work and high end décor costs considerably more than basic industrial style so we will do much of this in house. Certain skilled trades will still be called for high build quality in public areas like the café, guest suites and studio sets.
International Student Program: With the café core second story décor finished to a reasonable standard we can host international students. The two high suites are test rooms for the residence build to come. International student tuition subsides our research program. This provides all students on a team the opportunity to publish peer reviewed research papers and a rewarding cross cultural experience.
Small Scale Livestock: We will keep chickens, quail and rabbits. This is essential as biomes require plants, fungi and animals. Livestock also provides us with more ingredients for café fare fresh from our own farm.
Core Residence Build: This core structure provides an additional teamspace (multirole classroom / workshop) and additional guest accommodations. The kitchen facilities and subsystems are not as expensive as those of the café core, however the interior finish / décor cost more. This allows the expansion of our international student program to the point where every local student team could regularly host one or two visiting international students.
Greenhouse (Systems) Build: These are our second generation aquaponics / aeroponics / algaculture built into a tropical weather greenhouse. Controlled greenhouse conditions allow us to expand the range of our Agronomy research. Bio-isolation systems such as decontamination locks and a glove box infrastructure also planned for this structure. These features will develop elements of our later exovivaria input / output (EIO) builds.
Tala Center Build(s): Core structures can be upgraded with the Tala Center features. This provides considerably more student study space on campus.
EIO Prototypes (Greenhouse Upgrade): Exovivaria Input / Output (EIO) units are self contained greenhouse systems designed to test environmentally sealed miniature biomes for food production and regenerative life support in space. We measure all the inputs, outputs and behaviors of these units. It is assumed that spin gravity in space will effectively match earth gravity in the testing environment. Our first setups will work at ambient pressure, though we will monitor atmospheric composition. These environments also allow us to test growing conditions without pest or disease load. This provides a control relative to other experimental plots on the farm. Isolated tests of integrated pest management, like insect predator studies, are also possible. Small livestock could also be included in these engineered biomes. This is an important line of research for our focus on closed loop resource systems. Click here for more information on EIOs and visit our research partner Project Persephone.
USS Hope Mission Analog Build: As a late stage in our space science program we plan to build a mission analog. Crews would simulate scenarios on an Earth-Mars liner, the USS Hope. Three crews would rotate for one to three week periods testing workflows, evaluating simulated equipment and learning about space science. Each of the three crews would have a turn at being mission control, shipboard crew and simulation support. Not only will this be a rewarding educational experience but during mission control and simulation support phases team members can enjoy time in the Philippines.

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Physical Scaling Establishing a network of small campuses is our primary plan to scale up operations, however it is not the only option. Increasing the student capacity of a campus and operations on satellite sites are both viable strategies that we will employ.

Additional Residence Cores: These core structures provide additional teamspace (multirole classroom / workshop) and additional guest accommodations. The kitchen facilities and subsystems are not as expensive as those of the café core, however the interior finish / décor cost more. Extra accommodations allow the expansion of our international student program to the point where every local student team could regularly host one or two visiting international students.
Laboratory MMUs – Deployment III: We will prototype mobile laboratory units to allow student teams more research opportunities on our satellite sites or on other institutional sites. Though teams could conduct studies in botany and natural history the options are limited. Remote satellite internet services such as Starlink from SpaceX will allow high bandwidth, low latency, connections essential for the media components of our program.
International Student Field Study Program: International students willing to camp out will be welcome to join our field study program. Satellite sites , equipped with MMUs and few permanent structures, are relatively inexpensive to establish and operate so this would be an effective income source for the school network.
Tala Center Build(s): Additional residence cores can be upgraded with the Tala Center features. This provides considerably more student study space on campus.
Research Partnerships: Formal academic partnerships would allow academics to coordinate upper year student teams on research projects. From experimental design to publication advice academics from universities around the world could be of great assistance to student teams. Our only proviso is that the data set for any given study remains open source. This also helps expand the STEAM League.
Satellite Sites: Additional small properties close to Basecamp with MMUs are a viable option for local expansion. These field sites would require little capital investment and operate lean. Uploads for media could be done after transporting physical copies (SD cards, drives, etc.). Reliable broadband satellite internet services such as Starlink from SpaceX would allow connectivity in the field.
Mission Analog: Running the mission analog will be an additional “research tourism” revenue stream and provides an extra facility when not in use for missions. This is the final expansion envisioned for the basecamp campus design. This Mission Analog will be replicated on our main campus with any improvements discovered during operation.
Main Campus Site Selection: Our next campus will be nearby in the Philippines, but on a larger plot of land – likely 5 hectares as is the typical legal limit for most owners in the Philippines. It will be bigger, better and smarter than our first SMART school.

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Emulation Scaling Our operations and our social impact can both scale up without physical expansion. We open source all of our basic materials and data sets for the world to enjoy and explore. We have an integrated media production system at every level of our organization. When more individuals and organizations follow our example, or even better if they collaborate with us, we will have taken more steps into a better future for all of us.

Blueprint Publication: A significant portion of any building project is the design and plans approval. We can help in two ways. First, by showing our missteps and successes anyone looking to emulate what we do in part or whole can learn what works. Second, we will share our designs and blueprints with the world. This can significantly reduce the cost of a build. All of our blueprints will be to international building code or Philippines code standards, whichever is superior.
Training Content: Our students will be documenting project work and producing training materials, shared freely with the world.
Homesteading Content: Anyone interested in self-reliance, running a small farmstead, living a more sustainable and food secure life will find our content useful. We invite all homesteaders to enjoy and explore with us!
Biourban MMU Designs: Once a given design is refined we will attempt to produce it as a Mobile Module Unit (MMU). In an urban environment installing certain systems and using your own property is often limited by municipal code, homeowners associations, etc. Mobile systems give the city dweller a flexible option as they don’t have to be installed and are often outside of code. Our units will be small enough that one or more could fit in a shed or garage where they will not attract undue attention.
FF&E Designs: At a certain point we will have enough skilled artisans among our staff and students to make Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment (FF&E). Like our MMU designs, we will share these with the world. For systems that can scale down, apartment dwellers and homeowners with small yards will benefit from our creations.