Empowering Youth Through Garden Education by Marissa Weitzman
This excerpt is republished from the book “ReInhabiting the Village: Co-Creating our Future”.
Many social and environmental problems are caused by flawed education systems. Our education system encourages students to be competitive and value material wealth, which has created a huge disconnection in our society. We have forgotten ourselves, our place in the environment, and the things that really matter. We have forgotten what is really valuable and what is true wealth.
The next generation is inheriting many challenges and educators need to provide the knowledge and tools in a holistic education system to empower youth to make a positive impact in the world.
Teaching children about nature and to value the environment gives me hope for the future. I am the Sustainability and Garden Educator at Alta Vista School in San Francisco. I feel privileged to teach the subjects that I feel are very important and pertinent to this time. My program covers everything from soil science, garden ecology, and life cycles, to environmental issues, food crafting, and sustainable design. We teach permaculture concepts and their practical applications in a kid-friendly way. I create a dynamic experience-based curriculum that educates and inspires students to care for themselves, their community, and the environment.
In order for a child to develop an idea or value, they need to have a meaningful educational experience that invokes feelings and is engaging and participatory. Children need to feel invested and proud of their work. Education can be exciting and is not only about memorizing and routinely answering worksheets. The garden is a living laboratory that sparks curiosity to explore, discover and use critical thinking skills. The garden is abundant with interactive learning potentials for the sciences, math, social studies, art, humanities, health and nutrition, and more.
Our garden was transformed by students from an abandoned basketball court into a beautiful, diverse garden ecosystem. The students were involved in the entire process from inception, and I am continuously reminded of their experience because they speak proudly about this. Additionally, my students have designed and built a greenhouse, a water catchment system, living roofs, cob benches, ecologically designed playhouses, an herb spiral, and tipi gardens, while stewarding the garden ecosystem. Not only do they understand the purpose of these structures and their value in the garden, but they also learn that it takes teamwork to turn these ideas into reality. Students demonstrate an understanding of concepts and values through application in the garden.
Growing one’s own food allows a child to understand their place in the world. This is a foundational piece that is missing in the mainstream education system. Children begin to understand this concept by simply caring for a plant from seed to plate. After they learn how to plant a seed, they care for the young seedling and watch it with fascination as it grows and changes. They transplant their young plant into the garden, where they continue to tend to it, and observe how the plants interact in the garden ecosystem. Students learn how to appropriately harvest, cook, and celebrate the delicious flavors and abundance. Once they have gone through this process, they understand where food comes from and increase their appreciation for food, while showing compassion for living things.
Children learn self-awareness tools to understand their place in the ecosystem. In every class, students take a few minutes to observe and interact with the elements of the garden. Their senses come alive as they smell, touch, listen, taste, and observe their environment. Students come together and share what they have learned directly from our environment. As a gardener myself, I have learned that the garden is my greatest teacher and my students are learning that through this exercise. By consistently practicing observation, students become aware of their place in the ecosystem through witnessing the cycles and relationships contained within the immediate ecosystem.
Youth feel empowered during garden class because they are entrusted with responsibilities, while working collaboratively on projects. They learn how to take care of themselves by growing food and preparing healthy meals. Children are empowered to choose which garden activities they would like to participate in, and this gives them a sense of responsibility and freedom. My students are enthusiastic to tend the compost pile, weed, prune, collect seeds and make a salad! During these activities, students learn life skills such as communication, flexibility, and patience. Additionally, the garden provides a safe space for making mistakes and problem solving. By making mistakes and working through them, youth understand that they are growing and learning. These tools and skills are essential for a successful, happy, and healthy life.
Garden education helps children connect to their core values and how to make a positive difference in the world. It can be overwhelming, depressing, and terrifying to learn about the current state of the environment. However, children can be leaders of change when they have a strong foundation of values and ideas, and feel empowered. Through service and stewardship, my students have not only transformed our school garden, but also served as leaders in designing and building a community garden at the local library. This community service project shows that our garden education program has clearly influenced their decision to create more gardens for others to enjoy. They understand the impact humans have on the environment and are creating the change they want to see in their neighborhoods and communities.
It has been a joy to work with children in the garden and facilitate their growth and understanding. I am constantly inspired by my students and the garden, and I channel this inspiration to provide holistic education opportunities that interweave academic subjects with life skills. Garden education is not the complete antidote to a flawed education system, but can be a part of an integrated educational structure. In fact, garden education programs are being integrated into schools nationally and internationally. The Edible Schoolyard Project has created a network of garden classrooms and resources for schools and educators. There are also useful, accessible, and widely accepted curriculum resources, such as LifeLab and Education Outside. The garden education movement is spreading and is positively influencing future generations to create a regenerative and socially just world.
Marissa Weitzman
Marissa has been working as a Sustainability and Garden Educator for four years and is currently the Sustainability Director at Alta Vista School in San Francisco. She develops and teaches an interdisciplinary curriculum with hands-on educational activities. While attending San Francisco State University, she learned about the food system, worked at farmers markets, and volunteered at Haye’s Valley Farm, which made her realize that edible education is essential for a happy and healthy life. Marissa is passionate about restoration ecology, food systems, community, and permaculture and is particularly interested in where they all intersect. While in Guatemala, she received her Permaculture Certificate at the Mesoamerican Permaculture Institute. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Science with an emphasis in Natural Resource Management and Conservation and minors in Biology and Geography from San Francisco State University.
http://altavistaschoolsfsustainability. weebly.com
