One of the many ways that we carry on the legacy of the activists who came before us is by working on access to green spaces and food justice. We work to restore green spaces, engage in outdoor education, plant trees, and garden together as strategies for environmental and social healing. In addition to the grounds, we also tend several community gardens, including at our partner schools.
We offer school day gardening lessons and after school garden clubs, working with over 500 students a year. These lessons connect to literacy and STEM themes and teach children how to produce and enjoy fresh, healthy food. This fall, Tito, our Green Space Director, is partnering with our new Garden Educator, Anjoli, to bring these experiences to life.
Tito & Anjoli have created and are implemented lessons about parts of a plant, plant families, pollinators, water cycles, and more. These interactive lessons have kids digging, planting, and harvesting. Movement activities, puppet fun, and garden related stories are also incorporated. We love when classes come out multiple times within a season, so that they can see their hard work pay off!
Tito shares that his vision for the program is to create a place where kids can learn without walls built up around them, where they can feel free, let out stress from the school day, and have a different outlet to let out energy, all while learning to appreciate the world around them. As an experienced educator, Anjoli blends trauma informed practice with creative expression as she shares her love of gardening with students.
These visits enrich children’s educational experiences by getting them outdoors, in touch with the natural environment, and thinking about how urban ecosystems work — and just as importantly, why they matter. We know spending time outdoors, especially among greenery and trees, has a positive influence on social and personal health and wellbeing, and we are excited to be able to partner with our schools in this way.
