As part of Leadership’s Teaching Regnart Environmental Education program, Communications commissioners and the Board of Directors will visit Regnart Elementary School once a month. The commissioners visited Regnart for the first time on Nov. 15 to teach third graders about photosynthesis. The program was led by seniors Derrick Yee, Benjamin Hung, Justine Urauchi and Pranathi Sreepathy, who are part of the Board of Directors. They and ASB Social Manager senior Sara Yang and the Communications commissioners — senior Stacey Urauchi, junior Gal Haroush and junior Serena Chew — went to four third grade classrooms in pairs. The program’s purpose was originally to educate elementary school children about the environment, but it has since expanded and now includes lessons on health among other topics.

According to senior Benjamin Hung, a commissioner of the Board of Directors, TREE activities on Nov. 15 included planting flowers with third graders as well as teaching them the basics of photosynthesis. Upcoming topics will range from the environment to basic biology in the next few months.

The TREE program was originally started by Community Leadership commissioners, but because of budget cuts, the Community Leadership class was cut. As a result, the ASB Leadership class — which includes students who were part of Community Leadership — took over the TREE program.

Senior Derrick Yee, lead commissioner of the Board of Directors, also said that this year’s TREE program focuses more on the actual people involved, the commissioners and the third graders.

“We want to have a bond with the students on a month-to-month basis,” Yee said. “Hopefully, by the end of the year, we’ll know them pretty well.”

Yee explained that TREE focuses on community involvement and development as a leader, two of the Leadership class’ main goals. The commissioners are also looking to provide an opportunity for older students to work with younger ones.

“[We’re trying to] reach out to them more because there’s a huge gap between elementary and high-schoolers,” Hung said. “[TREE is] a good mix of teaching and fun.”

The commissioners will visit Regnart Elementary School on the second Tuesday of each month during fifth period, excluding Dec. 13, the Tuesday of finals week.