Workshop Series Objectives: By the end of the workshop series, participants will have become familiar with the space of a garden as a rich environment for teaching and learning across the curriculum. Ecological and social justice considerations will frame all aspects of the workshop series, with a particular focus on the place of the teacher (personal, cultural, and geographic positioning and identities) in garden-based education. Extensive engagement with gardening practices, food preparation activities (including eating!), and critical dialogue will be the pedagogical modes of exploration throughout the workshop series.
Each workshop will include:
- Connections to curriculum
- Garden skills
- Planting, harvesting, etc.
- Resources - Recipe
- Food preparation
- Shared light lunch
Workshops at a Glance
Workshop #1
October
What is a school garden?
An introduction to the history of school gardens & their contemporary relevance Including - History of school gardens - Cross-cultural issues around gardening & agriculture - What is a garden - Garden metaphors in education. Introduction of the Cultivating Learning Network.
Workshop #2:
November
Curriculum Connections.
Garden-based education across the curriculum, with a focus on both elementary & secondary curriculum. - Embodied math in the garden - Art in the garden - English in the garden - History and social studies
Workshop #3:
January
Garden ecosystems.
A holistic exploration of the interconnected relationships in a garden, including concepts from permaculture design. Topics including soil health, compost, nutrients, water, crop rotation, animals, weather & climate.
Workshop #4:
February
School garden design.
Participatory approaches to school garden design including co-design with children, curriculum connections, different design approaches, safety, liabilities, signage, and seasonal considerations.
Workshop #5:
March
Sustaining a garden.
Identifying and maintaining support for school gardening activities including funding & administrative support - Community participation - Weeding & other endless work - Engaging community partners - Management plan - summer maintenance/activities, hoses, tools, sheds, infrastructure, etc.
Workshop #6:
April
Hands-on!
Exploring and reviewing key gardening practices including planting, transplanting, seedlings, tool maintenance, plant families, crop rotation, planting according to the school year calendar, and season extension.
Workshop #7:
May
Workshop lead by the Secondary Community Field Experience (CFE) cohort.
Workshop #8:
June
Workshop lead by Elementary/Middle Community Field Experience (CFE) cohort.
Other Academic Activities at The Orchard Garden
Secondary Community Field Experience (CFE): April 23-May 12, 2018
Elementary/Middle Community Field Experience (CFE): June 11-30, 2018
Summer Institute in Early Childhood Education: July 9-14, 2018
Summer Institute 2018 Garden-Based Pedagogies in Early Childhood Education: Open(ing) spaces for learning ECED 480A 96A / ECED 565A 96A | non-credit
Seasonal Celebrations
Dark Garden Arts (Hallowe'en, Day of the Dead): Friday, Oct. 27, 2017.
Summer Solstice: Thursday, June 28, 2018.
