FRESH Through the Years
Experiential Education
.jpg) |
|---|
Introduction
Spring 2009
Fall 2009Introduction
Young people are central to Fresh’s efforts to make social change. Children are naturally curious about the earth's processes of growth, and change; there is nothing more exciting than the anticipation of abundance from a watermelon vine grown from a seed or discovering carrots in the earth! Through garden based, hands-on, experiential learning programs in the, we cultivate values of wonder, respect for life, mutual cooperation and stewardship in the children of New London.
Our first educational programs began in Spring of 2005; FRESH New London began working with the Drop-In Learning Center, creating hands-on, garden-based learning opportunities for New London children. Together we created the Drop-In Garden (DIG) , 3 blocks from the Center. Weekly from May through October children walked to the DIG to dig and learn with the dirt and the worms and the water! Since then FRESH has stayed on this upward path while accumulating new followers along the way.
Programs such as this have been a consistent part of FRESH’s work and slowly grown stronger. In the spring of 2009 we welcomed a new staff member dedicated to this work: our FRESH Educational Program Coordinator, Anique Wiggins! Anique is a New London native focused on making a positive impression on children in her community. Currently a student studying Environmental Education she hopes to make a lasting impression on children at all levels.
Since Anique’s arrival, FRESH has continued programs with the Drop-In Learning Center, the Regional Multicultural Magnet School (RMMS), the Inter-district School for Arts and Communication (ISAAC), and Jennings Elementary School. Since this spring we’ve hosted educational programs for the above mentioned affiliates, schools outside of New London County, our community gardeners and others at the FRESH Community Garden Center.
Most programming in education takes place at our community garden as well as on site with some of our affiliates. Students have the opportunity to plant out approximately 35 18 sq. ft. raised beds, along with flower gardens and themed based gardens (Three Sisters etc) on the perimeter of our community garden. Children enjoy experiential hands-on learning through garden based curricula which meets CT Standards.
Also new to the Community Garden is our Wild Space! This area was developed by Kelvin Vu a student attending Yale, working on a Henry Luce Fellowship. With the work Kelvin, FRESH Staff and youth we created a natural play area that children who visit our garden enjoy. Within this area children enjoy flowers, thorn-less Blackberries, Plumcot trees, books, and question and answer sessions.
In the spring of 2009 we focused working with two groups, the Drop-In Learning Center (the Drop) as well as the Regional Multi-Cultural Magnet School (RMMS). Anique along with a few youth hired by Fresh administered workshops for these two school programs. The main focus of our lessons and presence at these after school programs was based/ revolved around gardening
With RMMS most of the meetings and lessons that took place happened on the school grounds in planters. The age ranges of the kids involved in the Magnet Kingdom were grades 2-4. The kids had the opportunity to plant broccoli, lettuce, cabbage, squash, and sunflowers. Along with planting healthy things outside we also provided many healthy snacks and indoor activities that were based around nutrition.
The same can be said for the Drop as well except that most of the gardening that the children involved with this program happened at our community garden (CG). With the Drop we worked with children in grades K-5. The children from this garden planted out about 17 garden plots with radishes, pumpkins, sugar baby watermelons, peas, beans, nasturtiums, mammoth sunflowers, carrots, lettuce spinach, parsley, cilantro, basil, zucchini, and tomatoes. Many of the vegetables planted at the garden were transplanted from seeds that the children started at their center during the first two weeks of programming. Along with planting at the CG the younger group of children (the kindergarteners) planted veggies on site in planters, like RMMS did until they proved themselves not to be a liability while walking to the garden. They proved themselves to be very well behaved, interested, and my favorites!
In the fall of 2009 Fresh continued its work reaching children at Jennings Elementary School. Over the course of the past eight weeks Fresh hosted four 1st grade classes and two 2nd grade classes from Jennings at their community garden. (Totaling approximately 130 kids per week) Children were taught lessons focused in the garden that were hands on and allowed experiential learning to take place. The education coordinator had the opportunity to work with many of the teachers from Jennings during each visit. Mrs. Pagan, Ms. Hornung, Mrs. Iozzia, Mr. McGuire, Mrs. Reitz, and Mrs. Cannetto made the trek weekly to see what Fresh had to offer. Many lessons started with a question/answer session to refresh the children on what they’d learned the past week and to introduce them into the new topic. 80% of the classes hit a literacy standard by incorporating a book that was read to the children or a worksheet the children read and filled out. Each of the lessons repeated between the grade levels was altered to meet CT Curriculum Standards for that grade. The students also had the opportunity to view and learn about other things still growing in the garden, plant garlic, harvest potatoes and broccoli, and enjoy our Wild Space designed by Kelvin Vu.
We also worked with the Drop-In Learning Center over the fall. Within the Drop we worked with 1 Kindergarten class and 1 first grade class. The total student count being 18-25 per week depending on if the class had other activities going on. FRESH visited the drop two days a week for two 45 minute sessions over an eight week period. The children at the Drop enjoyed stories and coloring assignments that tied into weekly themes that were similar to the lesson Jennings was experiencing. Also the children from the Drop-In had the opportunity to walk to the Community Garden and help clean out beds (to end the season) amongst other things.
Over the course of the eight weeks the children experienced the following lessons:
| Grade 1 | Grade 2 |
|---|---|
| Roots Leaves Life Cycle of Plants Stems Parts of Seeds Exploring Food Chains Me and the Seasons |
Exploring Plant Parts Flowers Anatomy Parts of Seeds Life Cycle of Plants Exploring Food Chains Watching Weather Me and the Seasons |