Vision

Our Action Project this year was centered around integrating Indigenous ways of knowing with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through hands-on, outdoor learning. Students from BC First Peoples 12 and the Summit program collaborated to expand our school’s garden spaces. The goal was to deepen students’ connection to the land while developing a greater understanding of sustainability, community, and climate action through Indigenous perspectives.

Action

The actions we took included installing a new outdoor garden bin, sourcing soil and supplies, and working alongside Barb, the Founder and Visionary behind Sprouting Chefs, a kitchen garden program for youth. Students learned firsthand how different soils affect plant growth, which plants are resilient in our local climate, and how environmental changes are already impacting ecosystems. This experiential learning made the realities of climate change tangible and reinforced the importance of environmental stewardship, which is a key aspect of Indigenous knowledge systems. By connecting Indigenous perspectives with the SDGs, students developed a holistic view of sustainability that acknowledges the interconnectedness of land, culture, and community.

Students were inspired to take on this issue through their learning about Indigenous principles of caring for the land and the urgent need to address climate change. They also learned how Food is Medicine through local Plant Walks and connected to texts such as Held by the Land by Leigh Joseph and Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Working with Barb further inspired students by showing them the benefits of native and non-native plants, and by modeling sustainable growing practices. The project offered students a meaningful way to take real action, foster leadership, and contribute to solutions that benefit both their school and the broader community. This is an action project that will continue and provide more opportunities for interdisciplinary connections in the following year.

Reflection & Celebration

This project has laid a strong foundation for ongoing, meaningful connections between students, the land, and our broader community. It strengthened connections with our feeder schools, some of which generously provided plants (provided by our community volunteer, Barb) and reinforced the value of reciprocity and community partnerships. Students recognized the cross-curricular nature of the project, seeing and understanding how sustainability is deeply rooted in all areas of learning. As a result of their work, 15 students stepped into leadership roles to water, check soil health, and maintain the garden space. Their involvement sparked classroom conversations about creating educational infographics with QR codes that share information about each plant’s uses, properties, and cultural significance, especially from Indigenous perspectives. This next phase of the project will begin either at the end of this year or the start of the next, ensuring the learning and community engagement continue to grow. In addition, these student leaders were motivated to begin reviving our existing pollinator garden, a process that will also continue into the new year.

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