Environmental Stewardship

A school garden is a powerful environmental education tool. Through gardening, students become responsible

caretakers. They have an opportunity to engage in agricultural practices on a small scale, learning about the

responsibilities and impacts of land cultivation. They explore the web of interactions among the living and nonliving

players that sustain life. By doing so, they develop a greater understanding of the natural world.

For many children, a garden offers the only chance to get close to nature. Some lack access to gardening spaces

because of their living situations while others have limited exploratory free time in the outdoors due to the focus on

indoor activities and participation in organized outdoor activities. School garden educators in urban environments

frequently find their programs provide students’ first opportunity to dig into the soil and watch a plant grow.

Establishing a connection with nature at an early age is extremely important. Researchers discovered childhood

experiences with nature are strongly linked to adult attitudes toward plants. They determined that participation in

active gardening during childhood was the most important influence in explaining adult environmental attitudes and

actions and concluded that even in urban areas where green spaces are limited, gardening programs for children can

provide a strong enough connection to instill appreciation and respect for nature in adulthood.

A Healthy Lifestyle
Beyond academics, the garden provides broader life lessons including contributing to students’ knowledge of how to

maintain a healthy lifestyle. The state of California is experiencing a major health crisis as the number of overweight

and obese youth is growing at an epidemic rate. Approximately one in three children is overweight or at risk of being

overweight, and almost 40 percent of school-aged children are considered unfit. The number of weight-related

chronic diseases such as diabetes is of great concern to health care professionals, and the need for prevention

education is critical.

Garden programs work to combat this epidemic by teaching youth about healthy lifestyles including proper nutrition

and physical activity. Through a gardening program, students gain first hand experience with fresh fruits and

vegetables. They discover that produce does not magically appear on the grocery store shelves and learn about the

important role of agriculture in our society. The pride and curiosity sparked by growing the fruits and vegetables along

with the familiarity of where they come from motivates students to try them, often times leading to more positive
attitudes and eating behaviors. Fruits and vegetables are an important part of the diet not only because they provide

essential vitamins, but also because they are also linked to prevention of health problems like cancer and heart

disease. Studies show that a majority of children do not eat the recommended amount of fresh fruits and vegetables

each day, and so they are missing out on these benefits. A garden program increases produce availability and

creates opportunities to teach students what they should eat through fun, hands-on experiences.

A healthy lifestyle is more than just eating right, though. Students also need to adopt good exercise habits. The

garden provides a wide range of physical activity through digging, planting and weeding. The garden activities are

often so captivating that students will not even realize they are exercising. Plus, it is an activity they can participate in

for the rest of their lives.

Community and Social Development

Community and social development lessons do not receive the attention of academic achievement, but they are as

crucial to the survival of our country as reading and writing. Children must learn how to take responsibility for their

environment and develop a strong sense of community to ensure the continuation of our society.

Gardens create opportunities for students to work cooperatively and to take on responsibilities. They will quickly learn

the negative consequences associated with forgetting to water their plants on a hot day and will work hard to make

sure it does not happen again. The plants will also provide positive reinforcement in response to proper care by

growing or producing fruits, contributing to development of a good work ethic. On a personal level, gardening builds

confidence, self-esteem, and pride as the students watch their efforts turn into beautiful and productive gardens. It

also teaches them patience as they wait for a seedling to sprout or a tomato to ripen.

Gardens provide unique opportunities for cross-generational connections. While gardening, children interact with

teachers, parents and community volunteers providing opportunities for social interaction often missing in our society

because of hectic schedules and the role of technology. The garden provides children opportunities to ask questions,

share thoughts and work cooperatively toward a common goal.

Through a garden, students help to beautify the school grounds. For many, it is their only chance to contribute

positively to their environment. The praise they receive from other students, parents, teachers and community

members will create a sense of community spirit and introduce them to the benefits of volunteering.
Above all, gardening is fun and is a skill that, once acquired, can be a lifelong hobby. Spending time outside,

exploring in the soil, watching seeds grow, and harvesting the bounty can be enjoyable and memorable ways for

students to spend their time

=================================================================================

Growing a School Garden

By Lori Litchman

Growing a school garden fosters community,

teaches kids where their food comes from, and
gets them outside.
Grades

FROM

Have you ever asked your students where they think their food comes from only to get
the response, "From the store!" Wouldn't it be great not only for your students to have a
better understanding of where their food comes from, but to take an active role in
growing some of it themselves.

As an environmental educator, I've seen first-hand how educational and fun gardening
with children can be. From watcing a little girl's surprise and wonder as juice and seeds
trickle down her chin upon biting into a Sungold tomato to the little boy who saved me
the seeds in his apple because he was proud he knew what they were, I believe that
gardening gives students something they can't get in the classroom- hands-on activities
that help long-term memory acquisition.

Christine Palermo is a Head Start teacher in Philadelphia who loves how her school's
garden has given the children extra responsibility and an opportunity to explore outside.
"The kids love to work with their hands and play in the soil and explore these new
things," she says. "It has opened up their eyes and made them more curious of what is
around them."

Whether it's a tiny patch of land or a sprawling green space, one thing is clear: Gardens
are an incredibly valuable educational tool. And while starting a garden might require
jumping through some administrative hoops, it will be well worth the work.

One way to start is to rally community members and present a plan that shows how the
garden will be tended year-round. You'll also have to think about how the project will be
funded and where you will put down roots. After you get the okay from your superiors,
then the fun of planning and planting begins, and before you know it, you'll be using
your new garden for lessons every day. Here's how to get started.

First Steps to Fresh Veggies

One of the first things you should do when planning your garden is to gather a group-
teachers, community members, and parents-interested in working on your gardening
project. Community support is vital, particularly over the summer months, to make sure
your garden gets the care it needs year-round.

Once you get your group established, designate roles for each member. Find out who
among them is an experienced gardener. Does anyone have connections to a
landscaping or nursery business? Perhaps a parent in the group or summer staff can be
in charge of organizing the children to take care of their garden over the summer.

After you find enough folks to help you, you should start thinking about where you want
your garden to be located. If you are planning on growing on school property, all you
might need is administrative approval. If the land you want to grow on is near the
school, you will need to find out who owns the land and obtain permission to use the
property for a garden.

Some of the environmental considerations when trying to find the best location for a
school garden are how much sun the area gets and whether the soil is healthy. For the
best results, your plot should get at least eight full hours of sun each day. If you have a
shady spot, you might want to consider removing fences or tree branches to increase
light. If you will be planting directly into the soil, you should get it tested to make sure
there is no lead or other toxic contaminants.

Your green space may be limited or you may find you have chemicals in your soil; in
these situations, consider container gardening or creating raised beds. Even if you are
surrounded by concrete, containers and raised beds will offer you the opportunity to
grow a variety of flowers and vegetables.

Funding any school project is always a key concern. If you're lucky, your school's
administration will fully support your gardening project. If not, there are plenty of ways to
find financial support. First, ask parents if they are willing to donate money or help
organize a fundraiser. You could also apply for grants to fund your project.

Once you've got all the logistics sorted out, you should contact your administration to
get approval for your school garden. You could consider asking permission in the very
beginning stages, but principals and other administrators will likely tell you to investigate
and report back. If you've got a plan in place, your administrators will see how serious
you are about the project and that you are taking an organized approach.

After you get the okay, it's time to involve students in the planning and planting so they
become committed to their garden from the beginning.

Younger children might also need a little background information for them to fully
understand what a school garden means. You could do lessons on vegetables and
flowers, including growing herbs or flowers in the classroom so children can see the
wonder of watching a plant grow from a seed.

Planning and Planting

Now the fun begins! One of the first things you should do at this stage is draw a working
map of your garden. Make a wish list of items you'll need and a list of everything you
want to grow. Some useful tools include a garden rake, a pitchfork, and enough trowels
for all of your students. Once you've got your map and lists, you can start plotting out
where you'd like to plant everything. Also, start thinking about whether you want to plant
items from seed or start with seedlings.

If you're a little nervous about starting a large garden, a good size to start with is about
four feet by eight feet. With this size, most of your students can have a spot around the
perimeter of the garden for demonstrations or for working. This size garden will work
well whether you are gardening in the ground or using raised beds.

If you and your group are new to gardening, check with your local community garden or
nursery to find out what grows best in your climate and when to plant. Some good
vegetables to start with are usually lettuce, carrots, and tomatoes. The lettuce will come
up before the end of the school year, so you could have a salad party with your class.
Carrots and tomatoes take more time, but can likely be harvested when you return to
school in September. As for fruit, try getting some everbearing strawberry seedlings.
These plants will produce several harvests of fruit and provide a delicious treat for your
students.

A great resource for guiding your gardening is usually right at your fingertips, on the
back of your seed packets. There, you can find a plant hardiness map that will tell you
when to plant and information about how much sun and water each plant needs.

Make a calendar of when you will plant each item and designate classroom or after-
school time for the children to plant and tend the garden. Keep in mind that you may
have some plants that don't make it, a situation that creates a great teachable moment
(more on these moments below) for students to figure out the mystery of what
happened.

A Teaching Garden
Once you've got your garden up and running, you can really start using it as a valuable
educational tool. Just by planning and planting, you'll already be teaching the children
about what a plant needs to grow and where food comes from.
You could also use the garden to teach basic math skills in both the planting and
harvesting stages. Students can count how many plants are in the garden, or how many
tomatoes turned red from one plant. Older children can use the garden to think about
cost analysis, using simple addition and subtraction. Students can also do a comparison
between how many seeds they plant and how many actually grow or practice sorting the
different vegetables or seeds based on various characteristics.

A school garden provides built-in nutrition education. Children can pick fruits and
vegetables for a healthy afternoon snack, and the garden can provide hands-on
education about the food groups.

Children also get lessons in history through gardening. You might grow a "three sisters"
garden, which was a Native American companion planting technique that included corn,
beans, and squash. In this planting arrangement, children plant the corn first and allow it
to get about four inches high. Next, they plant the beans and squash. As the beans
grow, students help train the bean vines around the corn and watch how the squash
plants grow to help keep weeds at bay.

The garden is also a good way to teach students about giving back. If you are growing
food, you could donate some or all of the garden's bounty to a food pantry that helps
fight hunger.

The possibilities of lessons learned from your school garden are endless. As you watch
the fruits of your labor grow, you can be sure you've helped create a tool for experiential
learning that will teach teamwork, cooperation, and a life-long respect for the
environment.
==============================================================================

How can we broaden our students’ minds inside of the current school system? Ripe for
Change(Harvard Education Press, 2015)

Without an explicit requirement to incorporate the school garden into academic lessons
and often without much support in terms of preparation or supplies, teachers are still
making the garden part of where and how they teach. They are integrating garden-
based learning into lesson plans, organizing the class for lessons outside, and finding
ways to connect their students’ outdoor learning experience to the curriculum back in
the classroom. Teachers in all schools, but especially in high-need schools, must plan
these lessons within the scope and sequence of their core academic subjects. Teachers
are mindful of how critical their choice of class activities and projects can be for students
struggling to master reading, writing, math, and science concepts. They perceive the
school garden as a key tool in teaching the academic skills and content they’re
responsible for imparting. For them, the classroom extends beyond the walls of the
building to include the garden in the schoolyard.

These teachers have discovered that the school garden is uniquely suited to help
children learn. It provides a context for understanding both simple and complex
concepts (volume and area, for instance), tracking changes over time, and
distinguishing between biotic and abiotic. It is a place where students practice skills like
measurement, scientific observation, informative writing, and poetry. Of course, these
are skills that can be taught in many ways, but teachers find that the school garden is a
particularly engaging environment for their students. Garden-based learning can bridge
academic subjects in a way that not only imparts skills and content but also helps
students understand why these skills are important and how they can be useful. Further,
the edible learning garden allows teachers to “fold in” health and food education without
competing with core academic time. The schoolyard garden is a sensory-rich change in
environment from the classroom, and it is just outside the door.

-Advertisement-

Teachers point out that the value of the garden experience increases as students spend
more time in it. So a challenge for teachers is to plan garden lessons that don’t stand
alone but rather are part of a series of visits that allow students’ garden experience to
accumulate. For a child’s learning to flow seamlessly from classroom to garden, a
teacher must identify multiple points where the curriculum connects to the garden.
These multiple opportunities to take lessons outside offer teachers a way to both help
their students understand a concept or practice a skill and to still be sure they’ve
covered “what’s on the test.” Even a modest garden comprising a few raised beds and a
compost bin in an urban schoolyard provides ample opportunity for children to see
things happening, to get excited about writing, and to practice observing or using their
reasoning and creativity to make sense of the complex systems in nature. A teacher
may begin using the garden based on an intuition that this is a valuable experience for
students, and then discover multiple curriculum connections to not only justify,
but demand, a deeper commitment to garden-based learning.

=============================================================================
“With school gardens, we have the opportunity to teach a range of lessons and subjects,” says Cash, a
gardening enthusiast. “Students use math, science, and biology to measure and track their seedlings,
they use language arts to document their work, make observations, and even create presentations for
the community, and [they] use art skills to illustrate reports about their crops.”
“Creating a school garden means you’re connecting with your community,” says Sharon Danks. “You
can bring in local volunteers to share their knowledge and your students learn what’s invasive and
what’s welcome in the green world around them, all valuable lessons to take with them.”

===================================================================

Fighting malnutrition with

veggies
Agriculture, education, and nutrition. What are their roles in fighting hunger among students?

Danielle Factora
Published 1:49 PM, May 13, 2014

Updated 1:49 PM, May 13, 2014

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SCHOOL GARDENING. The Gulayan sa Paaralan program encourages students, teachers, and parents to better
appreciate agriculture. It also provides vegetables for school feeding programs helping malnourished children. Photo
by Daniella Factora/Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – How can we feed more students?

“Plant vegetables in schools,” the Department of Education (DepEd) suggested.

To raise more awareness about health and nutrition – among students, teachers, and parents –
DepEd implemented “Gulayan sa Paaralan.” (Vegetable gardens in schools). Here, crops
harvested from school gardens are used to sustain the school’s feeding programs.

The program aims to help address child malnutrition. (READ: Feeding programs for Pinoy kids)

Children lacking proper nutrients have less energy, both physical and mental, hence are unable to
fully participate in class. (READ: Learning on an empty stomach)

How it began
VEGGIES. Students, with the help of teachers, plant different kinds of vegetables in their school gardens. Photo by
Daniella Factora/Rappler.com

Gulayan sa Paaralan began in 2007, but it had a rough start.

Principals, school feeding coordinators, and agriculture teachers were put in charge.

“There was no budget given to us. The vegetables we use in feeding the kids came from the
school garden,” recalled Priscilla Montano, a feeding coordinator from an elementary school in
Cavite.

There were instances when schools had no crops. In order to feed the children, teachers had to
use their own money.

In 2005, DepEd partnered with the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR), which
trained schools on how they can improve the Gulayan sa Paaralan program.

IIRR is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) which aims to fight poverty

through community empowerment.

“Kahit anong laki, kahit anong liit ng area, kung wala yung dedication ng teacher, ‘yung para
bang wala sa puso niya ‘yung pagtatanim, hindi rin makakapag-put up ng Gulayan Sa
Paaralan,” June Roseti, agriculture teacher, said in a forum on agriculture education held May 5
in Cavite.
(No matter how big or small the garden is, if the agricultural teacher is not dedicated enough,
there would be no school vegetable garden.)

Together with the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and
Technology (FNRI-DOST), IIRI continues to work with schools in Cavite in building greater
agricultural knowledge and projects.

It hopes to expand its advocacy across more schools in the country.

Agriculture teachers

AGRI EDUCATION. IIRR experts, together with teachers, school representatives,

and students exchange ideas on how agriculture, education, and nutrition are
interrelated. Photo by Adrienne Villaruel/Rappler.com

The year was 1999, just one year away from the new millennium.

Fresh graduates at that time, like Roseti, were eyeing careers in the corporate world.

However, Roseti walked a different path: agriculture education. A career choice that was
virtually unheard of at the time, and perhaps even until today.

Other than Roseti, there is only one other female agriculture teacher in Cavite. Although
discouraged by the people around her, Roseti did not let go of her passion. (READ: Women in
PH agriculture)

“Andoon ang interes ko. Andoon ang puso ko sa pagtatanim,” she said. (Gardening is my
passion.)

Aside from agriculture, she is also interested in carpentry. One of her duties as an agriculture
teacher is fixing broken things at school.

Other than pests, climate change, and flood, agriculture teachers face a bigger challenge – the
negative attitude of both students and teachers toward gardening. (READ: Fewer Pinoys get agri
jobs)

“Not everyone’s willing to spend time gardening. Some prefer playing computer games. While
other teachers are not passionate enough for them to cultivate the garden,” she shared.
(READ: Why PH agriculture is important)
“Marumi at mabigat na trabaho ang pagiging agricultural teacher. Ang katwiran ng ibang
teacher, ‘Nag-aaral ako ng 4 years. Bakit pa ako hahawak ng lupa?”

(The job of an agricultural teacher is messy and heavy. Other teachers argued, “I studied for 4
years. Why would I even have to touch soil?)

Teachers like Roseti are given the task of motivating the youth to appreciate agriculture more.

A teacher’s advice

AGRI TEACHER. June Roseti started her career as an agriculture teacher in 1999. Today, she is one out of the two
female agri teachers in Cavite. Photo by Danielle Factora/Rappler.com

Roseti shared her ideas on how the Philippines can improve its agriculture education, and at the
same time, address the nutrition problems among students.

First, the government should educate landowners and farmers across all provinces regarding their
rights and responsibilities. Farmers deserve to be trained on the latest agricultural techniques, so
that they may also end certain practices that are harmful to the environment. (READ: Davao goes
green)

Second, monitor how “development” projects (i.e., construction of malls, subdivisions,

condominiums, parking lots) compromise the nation’s food security. Agricultural lands are being
sacrificed, but at what cost? (READ: Hungry homes in resettlement areas)

Third, lessen the workload of agriculture teachers. There are times when they cannot focus on
the school gardens because of their heavy teaching load. Teachers of any kind deserve more
support: compensations and benefits, training, and of course, respect. (READ: Teaching ways to
fight hunger)

Last, give agriculture education more financial support. Seeds, tools, research – all these cost
money. People already lack the motivation to study agriculture, they will be further discouraged
if schools are underequipped. – Rappler.com