As volunteers worked to transform dozens of plastic frames and glass panels into a working greenhouse Friday, students at Propel East Charter School, in Turtle Creek, discussed what they hoped will go inside once it is finished.

"Vegetables. I'd like to see animals," said Joel Fleming, 12, a seventh-grader.

"I want to see a butterfly garden," said Lexes Barbaro, also 12 and a seventh-grader.

With students' suggestions ranging from the practical to the whimsical, Propel administrators are excited the greenhouse initiative has captured the children's attention.

Sponsored through a business energy-efficiency grant from Direct Energy Business, the 81?2-by-121?2-foot space will serve dual functions as a greenhouse and as a science lab for all grade levels.

Bethany Ruhe, Direct Energy Business manager of public relations, said the cost of the greenhouse and related equipment came to about $1,600, but the easiest part of the process was persuading about a dozen Direct Energy employees to volunteer for the construction.

"When we were waiting for the bus this morning, everyone was talking about how excited they were," she said. "Everyone went over to talk to the kids. They have a lot of enthusiasm for this project."

"This is an opportunity to spread the word about sustainability," said Mark Kleinginna, Direct Energy director of solutions.

"I think what it does is teach young people to make [those] decisions as kids. The sooner they know about sustainable options and green options, it becomes part of their lives."

Kristen Gollum, Propel's middle school science teacher, said the greenhouse will give students firsthand experience with environmental subjects such as energy conservation and sustainable living, and will provide observation spaces to teach concepts such as photosynthesis and the life cycles of insects.

But she also noted that the greenhouse can help students continue the ideas of sustainability and community service in their own lives.

In an effort to encourage students to bike to school last year, a group of students organized a fundraiser with the youth environmental group Earth Force to sell energy-efficient light bulbs.

Those students, now in the seventh grade, said they are encouraged by the fact that the greenhouse will make sustainable foods that the school will donate to food kitchens or community pantries in Turtle Creek.

"If we learn about how the greenhouse works, we learn how we can save the planet," said Nikko Mangretta, 12.

"And now, people that don't have food, we can send it to them," said Justin Barbarino, 12.

Principal Sandra Grassel said each grade level of the school will "adopt" the greenhouse for science classes for one month. And while suggestions for what goes into the greenhouse are still up in the air, she said at least one idea that has come up would certainly fly.

"The curriculum in primary grades is the life cycle of insects, and we get butterfly [colonies] set up in the room to watch the process. When [the class is ] done, we have to release them. But this way, we can release them to the greenhouse so they can live a little longer."