April 4, 2023
Great Kids Farm helped educators plan and prepare for a green season
It’s a cold, blustery and gray winter day at Great Kids Farm but dozens of City Schools teachers are thinking about spring. Not spring cleaning or spring break. They’re learning to create and manage a school garden and harness growth in the flowerbeds to empower growth in students!
During the January training - one of many led by Farm to School and Sustainability staff along with City Schools educators - attendees toured the 33-acre farm which is located in Catonsville and collaborated in group sessions to create plans for building gardens at their schools. The result is a wholistic approach to learning that enhances student engagement.
According to Anne Rosenthal, City Schools Farm to School Specialist, training teachers is a critical part of City Schools’ commitment to expanded learning for students. “We’re making sure teachers have the skills and opportunities to bring learning outside and connect to activities and curricula at the school,” she explained. “Data show that outdoor and garden-based learning helps students in so many ways – from academic outcomes and mental health to attendance and healthy eating habits. Teachers know this and are eager to bring their students outdoors.”
“The training went so well,” beamed Juliet Unger, Sustainability and Environmental Science Teacher at Holabird Academy who helped design the session. "We gave attendees the resources and knowledge they need to plan for or improve a garden at their schools - from fundraising and permits to materials and building a Green Team. Teachers were so excited to enhance garden efforts at their schools.”
More than 55 City Schools currently maintain outdoor gardens - and thanks to trainings like this one, more than 30 others have expressed interest in doing the same. Just look to Baltimore Montessori Public Charter School, which recently received funding from the American Heart Association for its garden!
The growing interest makes sense. Said Ms. Unger, “Students who struggle to concentrate indoors are flourishing when we go to the garden. Just last week, one typically-distracted student approached me outdoors and said ‘ok, I want to help! What can I do?’. He was empowered and responsible the entire day while we used hands-on learning to reinforce concepts in science, agriculture, and our environment.”
Professional learning sessions are one of many Farm to School experiences available to City Schools educators. The farm also recently hosted a session on “Fostering Student Leadership through Effective Green Teams.” And coming up on April 21 is a session on “School Garden Fundamentals, Plants, Pests, and Weeds.” As with other farm-based sessions, it was co-designed by a Farm to School staff member, Sustainability staff, and an educator.
Getting kids outside and learning about nature is one part of City Schools’ Sustainability Plan. To learn more about the City Schools Farm to School program, click here.