Paul Ecke Central Elementary, School as a Garden

 Paul Ecke Central Elementary, established in 1927, is one of 9 elementary schools in the Encinitas Union School District. Our school serves 535 students from Kindergarten to 6th grade. During the 2011-2012 school year, PEC became the home base of a school-wide, inquiry-based “School as a Garden” education program.

We have written our own curriculum and also use the following curriculum for our program: Life Lab, developed by UC Santa Cruz and lessons obtained from the Edible School Yard Academy in Berkeley, CA. “School as a Garden” will ultimately be comprised of over 10 distinct teaching areas, including a lower grade “Buddy Garden" with class-assigned beds, a succulent garden, an Early California garden for 3rd & 4th grade social studies education, a hydroponic garden, a fruit orchard, an outdoor kitchen & teaching area, a composting area, a greenhouse and propagation area, a “small-scale” farm, and a concept garden to show other ways to grow food.  Please visit our garden website for more information: www.schoolasagarden.com

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 http://www.cbs8.com/story/22068109/gardening-class-teaches-more-than-green-thumb