Vision

We envision a school that is responsive to social justice issues in our community. We value sustainable practices that contribute to individual and societal wellbeing, and thus our container gardens are intended to provide free salads to students to encourage healthier lunch options and to alleviate poverty.

Action

Through a grant from Learning for Sustainable Future, we created a container garden that provides a free salad bar as the produce becomes available. Our garden includes a variety of lettuces, radishes, onions, tomatoes, fruit, and edible flowers. We have shared square foot gardening and companion planting strategies with students and have integrated the learning about gardening into math curricula. Because we value intergenerational relationships, we have included adult learners and youth in our planning. We have placed our garden in an area that will be enjoyed by the children of our on site daycare to encourage curiosity and enthusiasm for healthy eating. Also, because many of our students do not have space for traditional gardens in their home, we wanted to provide an experience that would enable students to consider gardening in alternative ways for small spaces.