by editor | Sep 8, 2025 | Marine/Aquatic Education, Questioning strategies
Empowering Their Voices: Students Sound Off on the Puget Sound
by Nancy Skerritt and Kristin Edlund
What makes work truly meaningful? Creating curriculum that harnesses and nurtures the student’s voice is challenging work. We believe that engaging students in real world problems that affect their lives is central to engagement. Grade Nine students in Maple Valley, Washington participate in a unit of study entitled “Sounding Off on the Puget Sound.” The unit provides rich opportunities for our students to learn critical and creative thinking skills, Habits of Mind, and to practice real world problem solving.
The work in the unit is authentic, rigorous, and project based. Students participate in an online digital learning community. All six hundred experience a trip on a Washington State ferry, and they create projects of their own choosing where they “Sound Off” to a self-selected audience. The unit culminates in a call to action where the students research a community service organization for their own involvement, learning what it means to practice civic responsibility.
At the heart of this unit is a shift in voice: Whose voice is heard? In the past, the teacher’s voice has dominated the conversation. Our new model values the student’s voice – not in random or isolated ways, but by carefully orchestrating curricular opportunities. We achieve our curriculum goals by structuring experiences that allow students to find their own voice and build the skills to make their voices heard. How do we accomplish this? We focus on the processes of learning and connect students to their own local community.
One year ago, we made a decision to abandon outdated content in our Grade Nine social studies course and to invite our students to explore the critical issues challenging the health of our Puget Sound. Our unit is designed to teach students how to investigate any issue by considering baseline data, examining this data over time, and making inferences from the data about how our environment is changing.
Students consider the ways in which marine life populations are affected by water quality, the impact on local seafood industries, and projections for how our lifestyle will change if the Sound is allowed to degenerate through pollution and other human interactions. The message is clear: Students can have impact by making their voices heard, taking simple actions like cleaning up after pets, and by getting involved in local com-munity organizations that are designed to improve the quality of our environment for our students today and into the future.
Strategies for Investigating an Issue
Within the structure of the unit, students gather information, interpret this information and then take action. Students investigate stakeholder groups to understand competing wants and needs. They use thinking skills like Point of View and Analysis to explore how human actions and interactions affect the health of the Sound. Drawing on case studies from other 
parts of the country, they learn about the complexity of environmental issues by exploring a parallel issue in the Florida Everglades. The students study the wants and needs of the various stakeholders and search for a solution that takes into account the competing interests.
Students build on this background knowledge to research our local stakeholders: the timber industry, the commercial fishing industry, tourism, recreation, Native American interests, and wildlife. The students are acquiring the thinking skills and Habits of Mind to investigate issues and to draw their own conclusions. A key goal with this unit is to foster critical and creative thinkers who have skills that transfer to any issue, problem, or concern. We believe that these thinking skills lead to empowerment and honor individual points of view.
Problem Solving
The students then use a problem solving model to form their own opinions and ultimately to create an action plan where they can become personally involved in cleaning up the Sound. The model begins by summarizing the situation and crafting a question to focus thinking: “Evidence shows that the Puget Sound is polluted. There are various stakeholders who have vested interests in the future of the Sound. Considering the com-peting interests of preserving our environment, supporting our economic growth, and honoring our culture and traditions, how can the health of the Sound be preserved for a sustainable future? “
After analyzing the interests of the multiple stakeholders, the students develop their own point of view with evidence. Students have applied the thinking skills of Problem Solving, Point of View and Analysis. They have learned and practiced habits of mind such as thinking flexibly and applying past knowledge to new situations. Rather than passively studying a local issue, the students are actively engaged in developing their own point of view so that they can be part of the solution to a complex problem directly affecting the quality of their lives. The learning is relevant and rigorous. Students are respected as young adults with good ideas for improving our world.
Technology for Collaboration
Technology can be a powerful motivator for students when it provides a social context for their learning. In addition to utilizing a variety of technology tools for research and production, students in the Sounding Off unit collaborate creatively in an online learning community.
Web-based tools allow this virtual space to mirror elements of students’ social networks while scaffolding their collaborative skills: students learn to respond professionally and respectfully to one another’s ideas, and to incorporate others’ ideas into their own work responsibly.
Student posts begin as structured responses to prompts and evolve into more spontaneous expressions as the unit progresses. The online venue also provides a record of the class’ learning over time; the history of students’ posts allows the class to reflect on their evolving understanding of complex issues. Students’ individual voices gradually form a chorus in which their distinct tones can still be heard.
For instance, at the beginning of the Sounding Off unit, pairs of students choose one word to express their impression of Puget Sound. They post their word on the class site. As students explore the economic, cultural, and environmental issues facing Puget Sound, they are periodically asked to post additional one-word or one-phrase summaries of their understanding. Students comment and elaborate on each other’s posts, and the growing list of words and phrases generated, along with the support for those summaries, represents an increasingly sophisticated interaction with those issues.
The students are asked midway through the unit to use a web-based video generating tool to create a short video that incorporates images, words and music to express how their perceptions of Puget Sound issues have changed. With technology tools, students apply principles they have learned about how artists use those elements to provoke an emotional response in the public. The videos, in addition to synthesizing the class’ learning up to that point, serve as another opportunity to scaffold student skills, in preparation for the culminating Sounding Off Project.
The online learning community also provides the opportunity to expand the classroom beyond its walls. As students learn about Puget Sound stakeholders, those stakeholders and other experts can join the virtual community and contribute to the students’ learning. Students are empowered by interacting with adults as equal participants in exploring the real issues that affect their lives.
Certainly, technology provides powerful tools for generating creative products. However, in this unit, technology’s true power is found in its ability to foster community – to break down walls between individuals both within the classroom and beyond it. The structure of the online learning community provides a safe place for students to try out their voice, while the widening circle of that community allows them to amplify it.
Field Experiences
While the online learning community provides an engaging virtual experience for students, we find that there is no substitute for engaging students in the real world outside the classroom – for getting up close and personal with the issues. In Sounding Off, this means getting the students down to the waterfront and out on the Sound itself. In an era where field experiences are often the first casualties of budget cuts, we remain committed to these opportunities for all students.
We are equally committed to ensuring that the field experience is one of the most meaningful learning experiences the students will have throughout their educational career. This requires careful planning and orchestration of activities that are integral to the learning goals of the unit.
During the Puget Sound field experience, students engage in activities at two sites: the Seattle Aquarium and on board a Washington State Ferry. At the aquarium, students explore the marine habitat and the wildlife that calls the Sound home. They use their field journals to make observations, compare and contrast, generate questions, and pose problems.
On board the ferry, students hear from stakeholders representing different interests related to the health of Puget Sound. The stakeholder’s interest might be economic, environmental, or cultural/historical. Students have the opportunity to interact with stakeholders who might represent state fisheries, non-profit habitat restoration organizations, Native American tribes, large shellfish corporations, or others.
To prepare for the field experience, students research the stakeholders and their points of view in advance, generating questions in their field journals. On the ferry, students use their field journals to organize information around key thinking skills. Both at the aquarium and on the water, students use their field journals and cameras to capture evidence regarding the economic, environmental, and cultural/historical aspects of Puget Sound.
While our community sits right in the Puget Sound’s watershed, this field experience represents the first time many of our students have ever actually been out on the water. The powerful impact of this opportunity is evident in students’ reflective letters to stakeholders and in the way the field experience continues to influence student thinking well after it has ended. Interacting personally with the Sound’s stakeholders while out on the Sound itself is an experience that can’t be replicated in the school building.
Sounding Off! Project
The Sounding Off! Project provides a framework for students to make their voices heard. Using the structure for projects provided by Ted McCain in his book Teaching for Tomorrow, students work as a member of a team. They design projects for the purpose of raising awareness about the health of the Puget Sound. The projects educate and call their audiences to action. Students choose their message and their target audience. Then they select a medium that will best communicate their message. They manage their team and project in the online learning community.
The projects vary widely based on the audience, medium and message. For example, one project team might create a picture book for kindergartners showing strategies for home water conservation while another team might create a video podcast to highlight the importance of habitat conservation to share with our legislators. Students are encouraged to use their individual talents to make a statement. They present their project to their chosen audience, “sounding off” on the state of the Puget Sound and sharing how people’s actions can make a difference.
Choice is at the heart of this project, and students exercise their creativity and their passions as they communicate with an authentic audience about the state of the Sound. Projects have included a website for learning about the danger of bulkheads, paintings that depict the past, present and future of the Sound, movies to promote stewardship, poetry, and children’s games.
Community Service
The unit culminates with the students investigating community service organizations, exploring answers to these questions: What is community service? Why is it important? How is service a component of citizenship? Students research community organizations that are involved in cleaning up the Puget Sound. They study the mission of the different organizations, and using a decision making model, they select an organization in which to become involved. Students contact the organization of their choice, learn about the organization’s service projects, and then commit to involvement in one of these projects. Students reflect on their participation by considering how they are making a difference in promoting the sustainability of the Puget Sound . They are doing real work that has value beyond the classroom and can take pride in making contributions to their community.
Engagement leads to empowerment. We want to graduate students who know that they can make a difference and have the tools to act. Learning must be relevant and real. Our students discover how they can take action to have impact. This life lesson will last long beyond the accumulation of content. Students learn problem solving, decision making, persistence, and interdependence. They practice civic involvement through a call to action. Our democracy relies on involved citizens, and our students learn that they have empowered voices through their study of the Puget Sound. They develop the awareness that what we do today does indeed make a difference for the future.
How do we know that these kinds of learning opportunities are more meaningful for our students than traditional approaches?
We’re listening to their voices.
For more information about the Sounding Off on the Puget Sound unit, please contact Nancy Skerritt in the Tahoma School District at nskerrit@tahomasd.us
References:
Costa, A. and Kallick, B. (2009) Learning and Leading with Habits of Mind. Alexandria: ASCD
McCain, T. (2005) Teaching For Tomorrow: Teaching Content and Problem Solving Skills. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press
Nancy Skerritt, the Director of the Teaching and Learning Department, has been with the Tahoma District for 9 years. She previously worked in the Snoqualmie and Auburn School Districts. One of her most interesting assignments has been the development of the Elementary Core Curriculum in the Tahoma district. She has expertise in thinking skills instruction and she works with the Washington State Commission on Student Learning to assist with the design and implementation of the Washington State assessment system.
Kristin Edlund is a curriculum specialist in the Tahoma School District in Washington State and author of the middle school Habits of Mind curriculum. She has written social studies units that integrate the Habits of Mind and thinking skills, and she supports teachers in implementing this curriculum in the classroom. Edlund teaches classes in integrated curriculum, thinking skills, and Habits of Mind throughout western Washington and has presented at numerous state and national conferences. She worked as a teacher-librarian for 12 years before entering administration. She can be reached at the Tahoma School District office at kedlund@tahomasd.us.
by editor | Sep 8, 2025 | Marine/Aquatic Education, Place-based Education
from Bec Boyd article: Growing Kids Who Care
Clearing Compendium 2011
Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, Charleston OR
“It’s good fun learning about the sea. We go out to the bay and find lots of different species. Itís important that we know more about the sea and how to look after it so it will be healthy.” (Grade 5 student)
Around 3500 young people aged six to twelve from twelve schools on the south-west coast of Oregon have been learning to manage the marine resources on their doorstep as a result of a highly successful programme run by Jan Hodder and Trish Mace at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology (OIMB). Nine graduate students are funded by the National Science Foundation not only to carry out research, but to become excellent communicators and educators in marine science.
In an area where many rural coastal communities rely on shellfish gathering and fishing to supplement often low incomes, and some fisheries are in decline, it is important that marine life is managed wisely. What better way of achieving this than by growing a generation of young marine experts?
After a week’s intensive training, the nine graduates teach at primary schools two days a week. They have created an imaginative incremental curriculum based on field- work and hands-on projects. It is designed to help the students learn not only about marine life and sustainability but about critical scientific thinking. By Grade 6 each student has spent a year studying each marine habitat, from rocky and sandy shores to estuaries, kelp forests, the open ocean and island ecosystems. Each one is able to survey and record local coastal species, is familiar with geology, colonization, seasonal and tidal changes, diversity and food webs, as well as the impacts of human activities like fishing, energy production and marine litter, and how to manage them.
Identifying zooplankton
In spring 2010, for example, one Grade 6 class (aged 12) wrote and produced a seabird guide and used it on a bird-spotting trip to nearby Coquille Point. They carried out repeat surveys of marine life on Cape Blanco beach, adding their results to OIMB records. In one lesson Grade 5 (aged 11) learned to identify zoo- and phytoplankton and found out about their role in ocean ecosystems. Grade 4 (aged 10) students were able to talk knowledgeably about why the hunting of sea otters has allowed sea urchins to decimate kelp forests, and how modern fisheries have affected marine biomass. At the annual OIMB Open House in May, children from all backgrounds and corners of the school district brought their parents to meet their favourite graduate student and see at first-hand what they had been learning.
The aim is that class teachers will gain the skills to carry on the programme themselves, with the support of the grade-based curricula, lesson plans and training materials that OIMB has provided on its website. OIMB can then focus on a similar programme aimed at local high school students.
Local fishermen are already managing Dungeness crab and Pink shrimp fisheries sustainably and are initiating discussions on marine protected areas. As a result of the OIMB programme, a generation of school children has become engaged, enthusiastic and knowledgeable about “their” sea and how to manage it. They are already caring local citizens who give real hope for the future.
by editor | Sep 8, 2025 | Outstanding Programs in EE
Planting Seeds of Community
Sunnyside Environmental School, Portland, Oregon
“This school makes you more confident and you get to try more things. The mixed classrooms in the middle school work really well. It is pretty fun actually because then the middle school is a bit like a family.” (Eric 12)
The riot of colour and activity that is Sunnyside Environmental School, a mainstream school of around 550 five to fourteen year-olds from a range of backgrounds, makes it hard to believe that the warm red brick building set amongst neat vegetable and flower plots, bright murals and mosaics, is a only few blocks from Portland city centre. Inside, the atmosphere is happy, buoyant and relaxed, with a strong sense of a supportive community of confident individuals.
The principal, Sarah Taylor, started this “ordinary” state school in 1995 to provide an education that…
“…brings the beauty and magic of the natural world into the lives of children through an integrated, developmentally appropriate, art infused education. Creativity, love of learning, personal responsibility and family are the cornerstones of an education that celebrates the many overlapping environments of Portland. The city’s wild and urban areas become sites for inquiry, exploration and understanding as children acquire personal and academic skills that lead to a satisfying life as thoughtful, active members of the larger community.”
Literacy, numeracy and “traditional” subjects are not taught in isolation, but integrated using Storyline3 into learning about the local area under the curriculum themes of rivers, mountains and forests. In a “river” year, for example, students might choose an Oregon river and write its story through time, monitor pollution and water life at a local wetland for the Local Authority and organize a River Festival. Pupils grow, harvest and prepare all the food eaten in the school with the help of the school garden and a small nearby urban “farm.” Food is used to strengthen the school community and to learn about food sustainability, seasonal cycles and the rituals of other cultures. Students learn at first hand about social issues by identifying and tackling problems in the local community, from visiting and fundraising for the elderly to growing vegetables for the homeless.
Unstructured play, singing, dancing, visual arts and a large amount of time outdoors in familiar “Places” are considered vital for children’s sense of “Place” and belonging, as well as for their cognitive and social development.
The result is a school where care and respect for others underpin an exciting learning experience. One teacher, comparing Sunnyside with more “traditional” schools says, “It’s not more work it’s just different. At other schools itís a lot about lesson plans and tests, correcting and scoring…here the activities are much more interactive and student-focused, the students lead on many issues and take a lot of responsibility. I think it’s more interesting for the students, and more stimulating and fun for the teachers. The great thing is so many of the projects here are cross-disciplinary. It makes it much more interesting to 
teach.’ The students show great maturity and confidence ñ from a nursery level “poetry slam” to extremely thought- provoking presentations by fourteen year-olds. At all levels the school seems to be succeeding in shaping individuals whose character, confidence, maturity and happiness owe much to a strong sense of “their Place”, what they belong to and the difference they make to it.
Taylor firmly believes that this transformation of school culture is possible on the state allowance for mainstream schools, although an active Parent Teachers Students Association raises funds for “extras” like a part-time Sustainability Co-ordinator and two staff, who manage the school gardens.
by editor | Sep 8, 2025 | Environmental Literacy, IslandWood
Cultivating Identity: The power of identity development in the environmental education
by Morgan Malley
For some time now Rupi Kaurís words “fall in love with your solitude” have been delicately swirling in my head. As a child I struggled to formulate an understanding of my identity due to being mixed-race. Being perceive as never ìfullyî a part of either identity I felt isolated. My yearning to feel a sense of belonging led me on an identity journey as an adult. My exploration came to ahead when I realized that my identity is a collection of multiple identities, each containing my unique experiences. Therefore, there will never be another person who will feel exactly like myself, because there is no one who is exactly like me. The realization that everyone lives in their own solitude provided me the belonging I was searching for.
There are few opportunities in education to discuss and learn how to navigate self-identity. Even though everyone questions their identity at some point in their life. That is why as an educator I seek opportunities to teach students about identity. As a graduate student in the University of Washingtonís masters of education program in partnership with Islandwood I have the unique opportunity to weave identity education into my lessons. Islandwood is a residential outdoor school located on Bainbridge Island. It hosts 4th through 6th grade students for a week-long program focusing on stewardship, science, and teamwork. Here I have seen firsthand the value of helping students explore their identity.
Islandwood students striving to balance the Whale Watch element during teambuilding.
What is identity?
Identity is ìthe collective aspect of the set of characteristics by which a thing or a person is definitively recognized or knownî (Social Standards, n.d.). The formation of identity begins early in development as ìadolescents start searching for self-defined values, norms and commitments and are increasingly questioning their identificationsî (Erikson, 1968). The formation of identity is critical to because ìadolescents who have explored their identity commitments increasingly identify and become more confident about these identity choices over timeî (Grotevant, 1987). By providing students with the opportunity to discuss identity not only do we create a comfort with it, but we also improve their confidence with their own identity.
Perspective Storytelling
One of my favorite ways to teach identity education is through perspective storytelling. Storytelling is a powerful tool as ìa well told story can help a person see things in an entirely new way. We can forge new relationships and strengthen the ones we already haveî (Gonzalez, 2018). Perspective storytelling is a thought provoking writing activity where students narrate from a point of view other than themselves. Since perspective storytelling can be challenging to describe I will provide students an example by reading them a perspective story. Students then get to craft their own which could be a short story, comic strip, or diary entries about any creature we learned about that week at Islandwood. It is essential to provide students with a decent amount of time to construct their stories. Because of this I have students re-visit their perspective stories to work on their identity reflection at a later time.
P
HOTO Islandwood students writing perspective stories on the Suspension Bridge
Identity Reflection
My time as a student and instructor has taught me the importance of reflection. Reflection is ìthe intentional attempt to synthesize, abstract, and articulate the key lessons taught by experienceî (Di Stefano, Pisano, & Staats, 2015). When perspective stories are paired with intentional reflection students are able to examine their narrative and identify pieces of who they are woven in. When re-visiting perspective stories I open with the book ìFish is Fishî by Leo Lionni. This childrenís book shares the story of a tadpole leaving his fish friend behind to explore beyond the pond. The Frog returns to describe to Fish all of the new creatures he saw above water. The illustrations show Fish picturing these creatures, such as birds, with fish bodies. This story opens up a conversation with students about our inability to remove our personal experiences from our thoughts. Students are then prompted to take a look at their perspective stories and write about how it reflects themselves. I have found that students are happily surprised when reflecting upon their narratives. They formulate a deeper connection to the character they created, and enjoy sharing about how the character emulates elements of themselves.
One memorable perspective story and reflection came from a student named Kira*.
“We all went to frog’s birthday, mom, me, dad, and sister. Me, frog, and slug went to a mushroom and played on it— except me I’m too small but I have fun with them so I’m happy, soon we ate garbage, spider ate insects with frog.”
Kira bravely shared the following in her reflective writing.
“My perspective reflected me because I think worms have friends of different races/species and have birthday parties, and the main protagonist named stuff that he/she hears about and sees”
During the quiet reflective time I sat with Kira and asked her verbally expand on her answers with me. I asked her why the worm was too small to play on the mushroom. She replied that the worm had been small its whole life. I recognized this as an opportunity to share how I had seen myself as small my whole life. I shared with Kira that I felt this way because I had repeatedly been called small by my peers. This opened the door to have a conversation about how society influences our identity and that we have the power to accept or reject it. Kiraís perspective story reflection also demonstrated her ability to recognize diversity in an ecosystem, and connect it to her community. This story illustrates how students are already recognizing identity similarities and differences in their everyday lives.
During the open discussion, I have seen students demonstrate an increased comfort level with talking about their identity. Often students can be heard expressing how they feel connected to those who have similar identities to themselves. Yet, recognize the necessity of having differences in identity within their communities. By providing a space for students to reflect upon their identities we allow them to cultivate a stronger bond with themselves. This confidence then transcends into their communities creating new interpersonal ties to those with similar identities, and different identities. By helping create a space for identity education, we are helping students fall in love with their solitude.
*Student name changed
References
Di Stefano, G., Pisano, G., & Staats, B. R. (2015). Learning by Thinking: How Reflection Aids Performance.†Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings,†2015(1), 1. https://doi-org.offcampus.lib.washington.edu/10.5465/AMBPP.2015.12709abstract
Erikson, E. (1968).†Youth: Identity and crisis. New York, NY: Norton. 10.1126/science.161.3838.257
Grotevant, H. D. (1987). Toward a process model of identity formation.†Journal of Adolescent Research,†2, 203ñ222. 10.1177/074355488723003
Gonzalez, Jennifer. Cult of Pedagogy. (2018, July 29). A Step-by-Step Plan for Teaching Narrative Writing. Available at: HYPERLINK “http://www.cultofpedagogy.com/narrative-writing/”www.cultofpedagogy.com/narrative-writing/.
Social Justice Standards | Unpacking Identity. (n.d.). Retrieved December 14, 2018, from HYPERLINK “https://www.tolerance.org/professional-development/social-justice-standards-unpacking-identity”https://www.tolerance.org/professional-development/social-justice-standards-unpacking-identity
Morgan Malley identifies as an environmental educator, social justice advocate, and graduate student at Islandwood where she is pursuing her Masters in Education at the University of Washington.
by editor | Sep 8, 2025 | Gardening, Farming, Food, & Permaculture, Schoolyard Classroom
In Pursuit of Environmental Literacy:
Abernethy Elementary’s
Farm-to-School and School Garden Program
by Sarah Sullivan
At Abernethy Elementary, students enjoy freshly cooked breakfasts and lunches prepared on site by a trained chef. The meals are often prepared with local and seasonal ingredients harvested from the school’s Garden of Wonders. The garden itself is entirely planted, tended and harvested by the students, who use it throughout their school day as a “learning laboratory. “
The garden program and scratch kitchen are parts of a unique wellness policy at Abernethy. A full-time physical education teacher encourages the students to enjoy physical activity. Enthusiastic parents walk and bike their kids to school rather then driving. Parents and staff organize a yearly bike-a-thon to raise money for the school that allows Abernethy students to ride bikes and scooters on car-free streets. Chef Nicole and Garden Coordinator Sarah Sullivan run five weeks of summer camps at the school, where they teach everything from pickling to pasta making, permaculture and organic bio-intensive gardening.
Founded in 2000 by a dedicated group of parents and teachers, the School Kitchen Garden program began as just a community garden plot. Teachers agreed to add garden class as an additional extracurricular class for students. In the past 11 years, the program has grown to include a rigorous garden curriculum aimed at supporting state standards in math, science, English, health and social studies. (Look for a free compendium of these teacher-friendly garden lessons for grades K-5 online this spring!)
Sample Curriculum: Integrating Benchmark Standards into the Garden
As part of the children’s graduation from the Garden of Wonders Program, 4th graders get to design and plant the garden and reap what they sow over the summer and into the fall of their 5th grade (final) year at Abernethy Elementary. During the winter small groups of students spend several weeks planning out a small garden plot collaborative, determining what crops grow when, how far apart they like to be spaces, how to maximize yield, make the garden beautiful, and design the garden with diversity in mind. Then they get to carefully measure, plot, and map their garden bed using math, language, and 
conceptual skills carefully aligned with the lessons that they are learning in their homeroom class. Soon string is laid out to carefully map out the garden beds into 1 x 1 foot plots and the children start planting greens and cool-loving plants in the garden classroom as early as January, examining the little seeds, carefully reading seed packets, then planting them in little pots in the window.
Students also take soil samples and determine how their soil quality is by analyzing how much silt, sand, loam, and clay is in their assigned garden bed. In March they turn all of the winter cover crops into the soil, add compost, and carefully dig and rake the garden to get it all ready for seeding and transplanting.
Time and time again we see that some of the students that struggle in the classroom excel in the garden. As kinesthetic and visual learners, those students often become leaders in the outdoor classroom. The most gratifying part of our work is to see the “aha” moments in the garden: suddenly the spark for a love of learning is lit and here, in the garden, students may reap what they sow.
The garden curriculum at Abernethy gives students the opportunity to learn about native plants, the origin of the foods that we eat, the interconnected relationships of micro-organisms in soil, the importance of food security, the art of cooking and much more. Students leave Abernethy with a deep sense of the interconnectedness of human and planetary healthy, and a full understanding of where their food comes from.
Portland Public School’s Test Kitchen for Higher Quality Food:
Abernethy serves as the “test kitchen” for Portland Public Schools and has created many recipes and menu items that have moved into schools across the district. Interestingly, though average percentage of students buying hot lunch daily at Portland schools is about 30 percent, over time lunches from the Abernethy kitchen attract at least 60 percent of the school’s children.
School Chef Nicole Hoffman is working closely with Nutrition Services (NS) to create interesting recipes that still meet USDA standards with only $1.07 per meal to work with. Together Hoffmann and NS have focused on sourcing better staple ingredients to institutionalize wide-sweeping change: All wheat used is Portland Public Schools, for example, is grown sustainable and locally by Shepherds Grain flour. All chicken is raised locally and hormone-free by Draper Valley farm. Beans and grains are grown by farmers in the Willamette Valley. Yogurt is made in Eugene, Oregon. At this point Portland Public Schools are serving about 40% locally-sourced food.
Slowly but surely Abernethy’s students are even fans of the more “creative” dishes from the kitchen like chef Nicole’s chicken Panang curry, falafel with riata, hummus and pita, and garden-harvest veggie soup.
Community Involvement:
Abernethy has become an hub for community outreach and education: students and neighbors unite to study why growing organic food is so important, how to best utilize urban-green space and successfully grow edible natives, low-maintenance landscapes and vegetables in our unique climate and soil. We see bridging the gap between the school and neighboring community in collaborative projects and stewardship as absolutely essential for city-wide sustainability.
For example, forth graders decided to reach out into the community in hopes of finding nearby garden space to grow more food in a public area as a demonstration plot for local food security and organic gardening. The local hardware store responded, offering four raised garden beds on busy Hawthorne Boulevard for students to steward. Forth graders planned the plots entirely, planting a diversity of crops important in different cultures like Thai basil and Mexican chili peppers.
Students took pride in their garden plots, and gained a sense of stewardship in knowing they were bettering our neighborhood and sharing their skills and the bounty with others. Much of the produce grown by the children was donated to the local Loaves and Fishes, supplementing food served to housebound elders.
Research shows that school gardens:
- -Improve social skills and behavior.
DeMarco, L., P. D. Relf, and A. McDaniel. 1999. Integrating gardening into the elementary school curriculum. HortTechnology 9(2):276-281.
- -Improve environmental attitudes, especially in younger students.
Skelly, S. M., and J. M. Zajicek. 1998. The effect of an interdisciplinary garden program on the environmental attitudes of elementary school students. HortTechnology 8(4):579- 583.
- -Instill appreciation and respect for nature that lasts into adulthood.
Lohr, V.I. and C.H. Pearson-Mims. 2005. Children’s active and passive interactions with plants influence their attitudes and actions toward trees and gardening as adults. HortTechnology. 15(3): 472-476.
- -Improve life skills, including working with groups and self-understanding.
Robinson, C.W., and J. M. Zajicek. 2005. Growing minds: the effects of a one-year school garden program on six constructs of life skills of elementary school children. HortTechnology 15(3):453-457.
- -Increase interest in eating fruits and vegetables and improve attitude toward fruits and vegetables.
Pothukuchi, K. 2004. Hortaliza: A Youth “Nutrition Garden” in Southwest Detroit. Children, Youth and Environments 14(2):124-155.
- -Have a positive impact on student achievement and behavior.
Blair, D. (2009). The child in the garden: an evaluative review of the benefits of school gardening. Journal of Environmental Education 40(2), 15-38.
The increase in students’ openness to trying new things, their passion for gardening and getting outdoors, the positive feedback we get from parents and teachers all speak to the great success of this program.
Accolades from Across the Nation:
Oregon Green School status
First Oregon Wellness Award
Kiwi Magazine Crusaders Award
Health Magazine 2008 Healthiest Schools Report
Subject of 2007 NPR story on school food (LINK TO http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6515242)
KPTV feature “Food Revolution” Link to http://www.better.tv/videos/m/30671714/food-revolution.htm
Oregon Live
Check out Chef Nicole and Abernethy’s School Kitchen Garden Program on Facebook or on the website: www.gardenofwonders.org
More information: gardenofwonders@yahoo.com
Written by Sarah Sullivan, Abernethy School Kitchen Garden Program Coordinator
Edible Corvallis
by Sara McCune
As the Farm to School movement breezes across the country, the community of Corvallis, Oregon has wasted little time in becoming involved. This school year marks the fourth year that the Corvallis Environmental Center has been implementing Farm to School related programming in the Corvallis School District through its Edible Corvallis Initiative. What began as monthly taste tests of seasonally available produce at one school has grown into a full-blown farm to school program: Tasting Tables at all 11 elementary and middles schools in Corvallis, science curriculum-based farm field trips, classroom cooking lessons, and an ever increasing amount of local food purchased by the school district itself. The Corvallis Farm to School program is primarily funded by an Oregon Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant with additional support from Slow Food Corvallis, the Consumer Wellness Center, Pacific Source Health Plans, and individual donors.
The Tasting Table program allows upwards of 4,000 elementary and middle school students to have a connection with the Farm to School program. Each month, the students have a chance to taste a local “Harvest of the Month” while learning about the farm where the produce was grown and the nutritional benefits of that fruit or vegetable. Increased exposure to local, seasonal produce will give a boost to local farms while expanding the palates of Corvallis youth.
In addition to Tasting Tables, the Edible Corvallis Initiative hosts first, second, and third grade classes at its Starker Arts Garden for Education for one-hour field trips. These field trips are designed to complement and enhance the science curriculum kits that are already used in Corvallis classrooms. Rain or shine, the kids and teachers love their time in the garden, nibbling on dewy bits of kale, planting garlic, or digging in the compost for bugs.
Because learning how to eat well involves food preparation, Corvallis’ Farm to School program offers in-classroom cooking lessons as well as after school cooking clubs at several of the elementary schools. Through the course of these lessons, the students become empowered to make healthy food choices by learning to cook delicious meals and snacks with locally grown produce. Children leave the classroom excited about green garden dip or butternut squash soup, dishes their parents may never have dared to serve.
A particularly exciting component of the Corvallis Farm to School program is its direct connection to the Corvallis School District’s department of Nutrition and Food Services. For several years, Food Services has worked with the Edible Corvallis Initiative to facilitate Tasting Tables and the promotion of locally grown produce. Beginning this year Sara McCune, the Edible Corvallis Initiative’s Farm to School Coordinator now spends half of her time working directly with Sharon Gibson, the director of Food and Nutrition Services. Together Sara and Sharon work to significantly increase the amount of local food purchased by the school district beyond the days that Tasting Tables are held and to turn the cafeteria into a healthy place where students can expect to learn about the food they are eating and the process it underwent before it arrived on their cafeteria trays.
Sara McCune is Farm to School Coordinator for the Edible Corvallis Initiative, Corvallis Environmental Center
CREST Farm to School
by Bob Carlson
CREST is an environmental education center operated by the West Linn-Wilsonville School District. One of the key CREST programs is the CREST Farm. The farm is located on surplus district property. Currently, a half-acre of land is producing vegetables for school cafeterias and other uses. Last summer, middle school and high school interns learned how to grow, maintain, and sell vegetables from a farm stand on site. Next summer, the students will operate a 20 family CSA in addition to running the farm stand.
The farm is also used as a field trip destination for K-12 students year round. Each season approximately 600 students visit the farm. Learning activities are tailored to the needs of individual teachers or teams of teachers. Many of the trips emphasize wellness and the benefits of eating fresh healthy fruits and vegetables. Other field trips focus on sustainable agricultural practices that help conserve resources and promote a healthy ecosystem. Lessons include biodynamic farming practices such as maintenance of soil health, natural pest management, crop rotation and wise use of water. Students participate in hands on activities including: planting, thinning, pruning, composting, amending soil, and harvesting.
All of the farm lessons promote ecological literacy by helping kids understand their connection to food and how the production of food can affect ecosystems. They gain an understanding of the delicate balance of ecosystems and the interconnected web of living things.
One of the goals of the farm is to give students a chance to make a difference in their community and the world by participating in service learning. Some students participate in projects that provide food to local food banks and support sustainable agriculture projects in other communities and other countries.
A number of CREST staff help run the farm and create meaningful educational experiences for students. A professional farmer lives on-site and provides technical expertise, a part-time grant-funded educator runs field trips and the internship program, and an AmeriCorps member recruits community volunteers and establishes systems for distributing the food to school cafeterias. She is also offering tasting programs to schools to promote increased consumption of vegetables and fruits.
Bob Carlson is the CREST Director.
At the heart of this unit is a shift in voice: Whose voice is heard? In the past, the teacher’s voice has dominated the conversation. Our new model values the student’s voice – not in random or isolated ways, but by carefully orchestrating curricular opportunities. We achieve our curriculum goals by structuring experiences that allow students to find their own voice and build the skills to make their voices heard. How do we accomplish this? We focus on the processes of learning and connect students to their own local community.
parts of the country, they learn about the complexity of environmental issues by exploring a parallel issue in the Florida Everglades. The students study the wants and needs of the various stakeholders and search for a solution that takes into account the competing interests.
During the Puget Sound field experience, students engage in activities at two sites: the Seattle Aquarium and on board a Washington State Ferry. At the aquarium, students explore the marine habitat and the wildlife that calls the Sound home. They use their field journals to make observations, compare and contrast, generate questions, and pose problems.
