Hiyas Working Group A

Welcome to the Hiyas Observatory – SRB planning group. We are a new model of innovation school optimized for the developing world and we will scale across the globe. This page is where we coordinate our planning, media and outreach efforts. This is the first school we are building:

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We will provide letters of reference, personal references and contact with our partners based on performance of tasks (see Phase 1 through Phase 5 below).

This is a global volunteer effort that localizes our campus and curriculum design – adapting it for a region with the knowledge of local people. International fellowship and the free flow of ideas also enriches our efforts. Each working group cycle implements a Kaizen, or continuous improvement process.

Currently we are working on our prototype campus in the Philippines.

Our group on Facebook is

Earth Farms & Space Science

https://www.facebook.com/groups/earthfarmsandspacescience/?ref=share

This page guides the working group and outlines what volunteers have achieved once we write letters of reference. Each operating cycle of this working group will have a new page, with a new letter.

With each funding round, we will be offering contracts for online work to qualified volunteers first. Work with us and you will have a place in SRG.

Come to the group chat on Facebook and get to know us.

Coordinators will add you to group chats:

Do things one phase at a time – start at the beginning. Phase I and II activities will continue throughout the whole cycle. It is fine if you start late.

Learn how to use Google Sheets and Google Meets. All of the collaboration will take place in group chat, on a spreadsheet or on video. If you want to be in online meetings find a quiet place with good connectivity to do so – you don’t need to be on camera unless you want to. We do need to hear you clearly. Volunteers under the age of majority in their home nations need parental permission – contact a coordinator.

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Working Group Goals___________________

These are the general results planned for this first cycle of the group.

  • Operational Planning: We prepare, apply and maintain a master budget and working papers for the SRB campus design and associated Hiyas Observatory.
  • Supply Chain Mapping: Online research for market prices, item quality and availability in a host country, currently the Philippines.
  • Volunteer Orientation: This process teaches volunteers the SMART school system and allows us to be productive as a group. If we keep going over basic material it slows things down for everyone. Please do ask questions, but read the material first.
  • Media Production: We will start making content across multiple media channels for SRG snd TMSP. We are developing a media workflow.
  • International Fellowship: We will become friends as we work to make the world a better place.

Working Group Objectives_______________

These are the specific, measurable steps this volunteer working group is tasked with. The steps are arranged to start in five phases, though much of the work will flow through the entire cycle and even into the next one.

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Phase I – Orientation_______________________

Start here and learn the material. We will gladly help you but orientation is your responsibility. Start making entries on the spreadsheet as soon as possible. If you are not an accounting type then please start networking – bring more people into the network so we can change education across the globe.

Build Your Fellowship: Come chat with us, get to know us. Everyone joins us in Facebook messenger chat, though we do run a WhatsApp group for those in areas where Facebook doesn’t work well. We are building a community that will change the future. Build your fellowship, claim the future of education with us.

Coordinators that will add you to the chats:

Learn Core Concepts: Every volunteer must know the following basic material – this is core information. These few links and videos we post show how we are a new kind of school. Look at the site map, learn the campus. Talk with us in chat about it, ask questions… but please learn the basics here because we will direct you right back here if you don’t. Check here for new videos.

Make Spreadsheet Entries: We detail significant equipment, key materials and supplies needed for our build in the Philippines plus one year of operations. We all collaborate on the following spreadsheet:

Click Here for the Spreadsheet

Edit the tab “Property Plant Equipment & Vehicles (PPE&V)”, research items that have not been priced & linked. Also remember that we value your input – if you have an idea for an entry put it in and we might use it! This sheet is viewable via the link but only team members can edit. Ask a coordinator for access if you need it.

Network For Impact: If your internet access isn’t suitable or your specific talents aren’t aligned with the task of making spreadsheet entries – then please recruit for us.

Network with us, we need volunteers and sponsors to make a big impact around the globe. Together we can build a network of schools – a legacy for generations.

Miscellaneous Phase 1 Notes: These are a few things that have come up in conversation during Phase 1.

  • No Apple Computer Products: We are a PC / Android operation, so we will not be compatible with Apple, iMac, iPhone, etc. We will probably need an iPad or two floating around but that is only to access apps not on Android… UNLESS Apple funds us and gives us all the hardware we need. Then OK.
  • International Build: The building codes in the Philippines are very close to International Building Code (IBC-ICC). Once we have our campus blueprints approved for the build those plans will be good with very little revision in many countries. When we expand to other nations, or if any of you want to spear head a similar school in your area, the engineering drawings, plans, etc. will be available to you.

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Phase II – Menu & Media____________________

In Phase 2 we are preparing the resources we need to cost our FoodPlus system. Though ample information exists on our wiki we will finalize the system with a representative sample of campus meal plan recipes that also serve as a foundation for our café-bistro fare.

As we finalize FoodPlus we will start making content for our media network.

The campus meal plan feeds students and staff for for free and is also sold as the lower cost segment of our café-bistro menu at the Cantina:

  • Finalizing the campus meal plan
  • Adapting wiki recipes
  • Finalizing the core ingredients list
  • Drafting the kitchen and bakery layouts
  • Drafting the D.H.O.P.S. alpha unit

FoodPlus Information (SRGSMART Wiki): Our FoodPlus vertically integrated “farm to table plus shelf stable goods” campus food system allows us to feed staff, students and families. FoodPlus is designed on the principle of using easily stored, inexpensive bulk commodities with long shelf lives (flour, pasta, dried goods, salt, sugar, vegetable oil) plus nutrient dense farm fresh produce. This provides nutritious, delicious food at a low price point. These are the recipes and ingredients we will be costing:

Campus & Cantina Meals: We want simple to prepare, nutritious and delicious recipes. Dishes should be ones that have “hot table” shelf life (i.e. soups can be in pots for an extended period, baked goods will not stale within one day, etc.). Some more expensive dishes will be reserved for Cantina customers. The following preparation methods will be used:

  • Baking
  • Griddle (Frying with very little oil)
  • Pressure Cooking
  • No Knead Doughs
  • Searing (Torching)
  • Smoking / Curing
  • Sous-vide (Slow Cooking)

Shelf Stable Goods: A partial list of shelf stable goods we can produce for our own use, sale on site and for distribution in cities.

  • Vinegar Canning (Achara, Chutney, Pickles)
  • Oil Canning (Antipasto)
  • Sweet Canning (Jams, Jellies)
  • Curing / Smoking / Dehydration
  • Fermentation (Kombucha, Vinegar, Wine)
  • Baked Goods (Cookies, Pound cake)
  • Confections (Candy, Toffee)
  • Vacuum Packaged Goods

Note that food itself is accounted for separately from the Equipment list (Food is in Phase 3), but kitchen equipment, appliances, etc. are in Phase 1 supply chain mapping.

Q&A about SRGSMART: Volunteers ask questions in chat and on video conference calls. We will develop as Question & Answer or FAQ list so we can address these points as we make media.

YouTube and More: We will make videos of the group as we work and discuss SMART possibilities, science and in general develop our media production skills by doing it. The media strategy for SRG is:

Minimum editing for maximum content across multiple platforms.

  • Media Production Class A (Long Form Audio / Video Content – YouTube, Bitchute, Spotify, Apple Podcast, etc.) Our meetings on Google Meets allow us easy development of Multiple Channel Content…. we can each record our meeting and build multiple YouTube channels.
  • Media Production Class B (1 Minute Content – Tiktok, YouTube Shorts)
  • Media Production C (Short Form Video Content, 3 to 8 minutes aggregated from assembling Class B content or clipping Class A content – Facebook, Instagram, YouTube)
  • The Mars Society Philippines (TMSP) web page hosting: We need to get the TMSP page onto its own domain. SRG may be able to do this as part of the hosting package. A site is a necessary companion for a YouTube channel since it can be part of using non-monetized media platforms to drive traffic to monetized ones and to use short form media to drive long form content.
  • Contributor Team Page: those who put in work, mentor for us or find us more volunteers will be listed here.

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Phase III – Cantina Budgets_________________

Cantina operations are budgeted at this stage.

FoodPlus Costing & Operational Budgets: Our schools feed students, staff and families for free. How we do this is a farm to table, vertically integrated food system on campus. We use a range of advanced agronomy techniques, have a full kitchen, and a bakery on site. We call it FoodPlus because we do more than just farm to table. In addition to cooking campus meals and putting together weekly food parcels together to help students’ families in need we have commercial operations on campus. The first is a simple restaurant and convenience store – the Cantina. The second is producing and distributing shelf stable food products and baked goods. FoodPlus is “Farm to table plus shelf stable”.

  • Recipe Costing (Standard Cost Cards). See the examples below, we are still developing the template.

Student Schedules: FoodPlus schedules (farm, kitchen, bakery, cleaning, etc.) are based on Project Mix (approximately 1/5 to 2/5 of total daily hours depending on specialization, year and specific projects). General scheduling is as follows:

  • Breakfast break 30 min (Scheduled)
  • Lunch Break 60 min (Scheduled)
  • Dinner Break 30 min (Scheduled)
  • 30 min flexible break time (Unscheduled)
  • Daily Program Time 7 Hours (9 Hours including breaks).
  • 6 Days per week except for holidays, though attendance on off days is welcome – local students may need the campus meals. Attendance on an off day only requires FoodPlus hours be put in, the rest of the time is independent study.
  • Students on Cultural Exchange Days (CEDs – with International Students) need only put in their FoodPlus hours. International students are on CEDs 2 days per week and on normal team schedules 4 days per week.
  • Scheduled breaks are staggered so half the students are on break at any given time, unscheduled breaks do not take students away from critical tasks like point of sale or kitchen service unless they have a cover.

Additional Budget and Variance Tutorials: Instead of cluttering up the page above we put them near the end of the page. As we work through developing standard cost cards and get into building budgets these will be required concepts.

FoodPlus Information (SRGSMART Wiki): Our FoodPlus vertically integrated “farm to table plus shelf stable goods” campus food system allows us to feed staff, students and families. FoodPlus is designed on the principle of using easily stored, inexpensive bulk commodities with long shelf lives (flour, pasta, dried goods, salt, sugar, vegetable oil) plus nutrient dense farm fresh produce. This provides nutritious, delicious food at a low price point. These are the recipes and ingredients we will be costing:

Standard Cost Card Examples For A Recipe: We are developing the templates

Our standard cost cards will include Direct Materials (ingredients), Direct Labor and Overhead unlike many examples above that only cover ingredients. We also have some additional constraints & tasks for recipes:

  • Adapting Recipes from Wiki to use as many Core Ingredients as possible.
  • Costing and Updating the Core Ingredients List
  • Selection of High & Low Recipes for sampled estimation of flexible menu categories
  • Menu Planning (Campus Meals, Cantina…the Cantina offers campus menu plus high end baked goods and shelf stable products). Menu planning will be reviewed as we cost recipes.

Curriculum Costing: This is the production of Standard Cost Cards for student projects: We will have a working master budget for FoodPlus (the farm, the Cantina, the Bakery) in Phase IV. Then we will add a layer for the SMART student projects. This will be easiest when all the budgets have been checked for function.

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Phase IV – Master Budget_______ ___________

Building the Master Budget: We will start by looking at the heart of the campus: Foodplus.

Foodplus is the vertically Integrated food production system on campus.

“Farm to Table” supplies the Cantina restaurant and bakery on campus with everything except staples we can’t produce ourselves. Shelf stable goods are produced for sale on site and distribution in cities.

The Foodplus system must work efficiently and effectively because we feed our local students for free.

Some tutorial videos to watch:

The Master Budget: https://youtu.be/Wy9MGFjS7ZA

The Sales Budget: https://youtu.be/frCX_bsFsao

  • Sales Sub-Bidgets
  • Est. Campus Meals (zero price sales)
  • Est. Cash Collectors (Cantina, Bakery, Shelf Stable Goods)
  • Est. Student Hours (zero cost direct labor)

The Production Budget: https://youtu.be/YwIUeaFkOS8

Possible Budget Periods: Daily / Weekly / Quarterly / Annually – We will project campus operations for a maximum period of one year at this point, as this covers one student cohort. A five year budget will be prepared in the next working group cycle.

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Phase V – References & More_________________

Volunteer References: At SRG we want to write you glowing references, so we will if you are constructive and help us make the world a better place.

Next Cycle: Planning the next cycle of the working group will happen at this point. This will include”

  • Expanding the master budget from a 1 year to a 5 year model
  • Reviewing & Improving Media Production
  • Reviewing & Improving Grant Seeking

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How Do I Get Started?_____________________

Get to know everyone on group chat.

Coordinators who will add you to the group chat:

Do things one phase at a time – start at the beginning. Phase I and II activities will continue throughout the whole cycle. It is fine if you start late.

Learn how to use Google Sheets and Google Meets. All of the collaboration will take place in group chat, on a spreadsheet or on video.

Learn the orientation material in Phase I.

Make sure you tag your contributions with your name in the correct fields so we can ask you about any entry notes we don’t understand and so you get credit for your work.

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IMPORTANT NOTE ON MEETINGS: If you want to be in meetings on audio and / or video you need a quiet place to work. If we can’t hear you clearly or there is noise then it won’t work for anyone.

We will be recording these meetings for YouTube and other media platforms. There will be a CC0 / public domain consent form via email so we (anyone) can use the meeting footage. This release form is also essential because we will be working with sponsors, major universities and other organizations who will want to share some of our content to promote the project.

What SRG Staff Are Doing In Parallel_____

We are always busy in the background, plenty to do!

  • Agricultural Costing (with Adrian C. Macadangdang, Chris J. Kent and Richard Blum)
  • Budget Templates: We will be building and testing the spreadsheet templates ahead of each phase.
  • Construction estimation for the location (the L in F.L.O.)
  • Engineering drawings for the site and structure
  • Site Plan Design Notes (with Rafael Juvida, Chris J. Kent)
  • Sponsorship Pitch Pitch Pitch: Pitch Practice / Pitch Deck / Pitch Video/ Web Resources.

Working with TMSP has expanded the scope of our minimum campus startup and improved the concept with Hiyas. However this means an expanded pitch. The pitch is what will get us sponsors.

Talking about cool stuff: SRG is still in planning but TMSP is active. Together we are trying to get students on NASA challenges, sending students to astronautics courses and more. So we will talk about cool stuff on videos.

Volunteer Support: We are here to guide you. When we do it may be by making or finding resources for everyone so please look at availability tutorials and be patient.

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Miscellaneous Resources:______________

The following resources will assist you in various working group tasks.

  • Flexible Budgeting
  • Labor Budget Note (4 Full Time Employees, 6 Casual @ 3 days per week)
  • Cash Budget
  • Integrated Master Budget Example
  • Budgeted Income Statement
  • Example Balance Sheet
  • Comparative Balance Sheet
  • Cost Volume Profit (CVP) Analysis
  • Multiproduct Breakeven Analysis: Sales Mix
  • Variance Analysis & Margins: These will be used to test the draft master budget.
  • No Apple Computer Products: We are a PC operation, so we will not be compatible with Apple, iMac, iPhone, etc. We will probably need an iPad or two floating around but that is only to access apps not on Android… UNLESS Apple funds us and gives us all the hardware we need. Then OK.
  • International Build: The building codes in the Philippines are very close to International Building Code (IBC-ICC). Once we have our campus blueprints approved for the build those plans will be good with very little revision in many countries. When we expand to other nations, or if any of you want to spear head a similar school in your area, the engineering drawings, plans, etc. will be available to you.

Look for updates on this site and keep making entries on Google Sheets!

Guest Quarters: These accommodations are regularly saleable beds offered to international students, tourists, visiting educators, etc. They are listed from most desirable to least desirable and are so ranked in terms of price. In order to book an entire suite or room a guest would reserve all beds in that space. Campfire Hall has three bunk rooms with three bunks (six single beds) per room and a shared comfort room (CR) block accessible via Starfinder Deck. Sofas in suites and dorms are not counted as beds. There are a total of 97 beds saleable at high rates.

  • Queen Bunk (Lower Bed, Suite, CR) x 22
  • Queen Bunk (Upper Bed, Suite, CR) x 22
  • Murphy Single (Suite, CR) x 11
  • Full Bed (Hab Module) x 6
  • Full Bunk (Lower Bed, Dorm, CR) x 4
  • Full Bunk (Upper Bed, Dorm, CR) x 4
  • Single Bunk (Lower Bed, Dorm, CR) x 6
  • Single Bunk (Upper Bed, Dorm, CR) x 6
  • Single Bunk (Lower Bed, Campfire) x 9
  • Single Bunk (Upper Bed, Campfire) x 9

Campus Quarters: These accommodations are saleable at low rates and provide stay over options for staff and students in need. Senior staff residences are not included in this list. The total long term accommodations on campus is 137 beds. Access to the Public Cantina CR, Staff Cantina CR Hiya Deck and Starfinder Deck CR is provided.

  • Single Bunk (Lower, Bench Hall) x 5
  • Single Bunk (Upper, Bench Hall) x 5
  • Box Bunk (Lower, SRB) x 18
  • Box Bunk (Upper, SRB) x 18

Emergency Accommodations: There are a total of 18 emergency beds that can accommodate neighbors, staff and students in case of crisis. The Cantina is not counted in this capacity since it is a busy dining space required for campus meals and restaurant service. The two gazebos on Starfinder Deck are of a different design than the others on property as they have a large open table in the center and a large space underneath where people can shelter – essentially a queen bunk. For reasons of liability the other gazebos are in public areas and are designed so that people cannot recline on or under them. CR access is as per campus quarters above.

  • Deck Tables (Full Bed, Block A Deck) x 3
  • Counters (Single Bed, Block A Deck) x 5
  • Gazebo (Queen Bed, Lower) x 2
  • Gazebo (Queen Bed, Upper) x 2
  • Deck Tables (Full Bed, Block B Deck) x 6

Standard Guest Occupancy Limits: Under normal circumstances the following occupancy limits will be enforced for various accommodation types.

  • Queen Poster Bunk Suite – 10 people (2 x Queen Bunks, 1 Murphy Bed)
  • Full Bunk Dorm Room – 9 people (2 x Full Bunks)
  • Single Bunk Dorm Room – 6 People (3 x Single Bunks)
  • Habitat Module – 2 People (1 x Full Murphy Bed)
  • Campfire Hall Room – 6 People (3 x Single Beds)
  • Bench Hall – 10 People (5 x Single Bunks)
  • Box Bunks – 2 People (per Box Bunk)

Structural Cost Estimation Data: 2019 Government Data was used due to the volatility of 2020. These estimated costs include structural, basic finish, water and power but do not include FF&E. Suppliers in the build area tend to source mostly from Pangasinan, as there is a provincial border close by. Inflation factors will be applied to the base rates below.

  • Residential Base Cost: 10,400 Peso per square meter (not adjusted for structure type)
  • Non-Residential Base Cost: 13,800 Peso per square meter (not adjusted for structure type)
Images attributed – originals sourced from public domain (government).
Images attributed – originals sourced from public domain (government).

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Work In Progress (WIP) Hiyas Campus Drawings & Data: The SRB plus Hiyas site plan used in costing does not include some modular property features – those are listed in the design notes on the working sheets. Nor does that site plan give any guidance as to the Hiyas complex floor plans. The second floor plan is accommodations only – queen poster bunk suites, Dorm Rooms and a housekeeping room. Note that queen poster bunks are queen sized bunk beds (European king size) made to look like large poster beds when privacy curtains are drawn. The following images are our site plan and conceptual work in progress (WIP) floor plan(s) sufficient for costing and budgeting:

Hiyas Complex Campus Site Plan:

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Hiyas Complex Ground Floor Plan:

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Hiyas Complex Second Floor Plan:

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Hiyas Complex Campus Structure Data:

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Structure Data & Phase 1 Costing Sheet Tags: The following values, also found on the structure type graphic above, are over estimated as per conservatism. Tags correspond to the structural estimate sections on the sheet.

  • Guest Block (07): Total area for both floors 7980 ft2, 742 m2
  • Courtyard Deck (09): 697 ft2, 65 m2
  • Staff Block (10): Total area for both floors 4176 ft2, 194 m2
  • Bench Hall (12): 300 ft2, 28 m2
  • Shade Roof Row (13): 3782 ft2, 352 m2
  • Locker Gate (19): 300 ft2, 28 m2
  • Bath Block (22): 289 ft2, 27 m2
  • Shed Roof Row (25): 3696 ft2, 344 m2
  • Half Court Roof (36): 5712 ft2, 531 m2
  • West Deck (40): 1852 ft2, 172 m2

SRB Core + Hiyas Observatory Core Build: The campus will be built in stages, with the most critical facilities and infrastructure being the shade roof and the observatory itself (image below cropped from the full site plan). These core facilities require approximately 25% of the infrastructure show on the site plan to operate sustainably. Build scenarios can be found on the PPE&V tab of our budget spreadsheet.

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