Vision

This year, I led a school gardening project as part of our Action Project initiative. What began as a simple idea to connect students with nature grew into a collaborative and meaningful experience that involved my Kindergarten class, their Grade 8 reading buddies, and our newly formed Gardening Club. The purpose of this project was to promote environmental stewardship, hands-on learning, and a stronger sense of school community. Gardening is a powerful teaching tool, it supports science curriculum outcomes, fosters responsibility and patience, and creates a sense of joy and wonder. I wanted my students to experience these benefits first-hand by helping something grow from seed to harvest.

Action

The project started with planning. We began by having conversations in class about where our food comes from, what plants need to survive, and the importance of pollinators. Students brainstormed what they’d like to grow. Popular suggestions included sunflowers, carrots, tomatoes, and herbs like basil and mint. We were lucky enough to have 5 garden beds on our school yard. We started by cleaning the area, turning the soil, and adding compost. The physical work gave students a new appreciation for what goes into growing food and maintaining a garden.

One of the most rewarding parts of the project was the collaboration with our Grade 8 reading buddies. Every week, my younger students were paired with an older student to work in the garden. These sessions quickly became a highlight of the week. The older students acted as mentors, helping their buddies dig, plant, water, and weed, while also engaging in meaningful conversations about what they were learning. The relationships that formed across the grades were heartwarming to watch. Some of the Grade 8 students, who had initially been quiet or hesitant, came to life while working with their younger partners. They took pride in teaching and modeling positive behaviour, and they began to see themselves as leaders within the school.

As interest in the garden grew, we opened the project to a wider group of students by starting a Gardening Club. This club meets during lunch once or twice a week and was open to all grades. We had students from Grades 1 through 8 joining in to help care for the garden, learn new gardening techniques, and share ideas for how to expand it in the future.

Throughout the project, students gained knowledge in many different subject areas. In science, they learned about plant lifecycles, ecosystems, and the needs of living things. In math, they measured garden beds, tracked plant growth, and practiced estimating and comparing quantities. In language, they wrote journal reflections, created gardening instructions, and presented their findings to peers. More importantly, though, students developed soft skills like patience, collaboration, and perseverance. They learned that plants don’t grow overnight, that gardens require constant care, and that teamwork makes the work more fun and efficient.

Reflection & Celebration

The garden also became a space for mindfulness and social-emotional learning. During stressful days, students enjoyed watering plants or checking on seedlings. One student described the garden as their “calm place,” and others said they felt proud seeing the plants grow each week. These conversations helped build community and allowed students to celebrate their progress together.

I chose this project because I believe strongly in the power of outdoor, experiential learning. I wanted my students to connect more deeply with nature, to understand where their food comes from, and to feel empowered by their ability to make a positive difference in the world. In a time when many students spend much of their day indoors or on screens, it felt especially important to create a project that brought us outside, into the dirt, and back to the basics of nurturing life.

The garden is starting to flourish. Our seedlings are getting bigger and some flowers are beginning to bloom. We are hoping to harvest herbs and vegetables that will be used to make a salad as a group. What started as an Action Project will end up growing far beyond its original goal. I hope to continue and expand for years to come.