Garden Classrooms

What we would like to create is a project that will help educate our youth about healthy eating habits, as well as instill and validate Lakota cultural values. One of the main goals for our garden is to provide an alternative food source for our community as a whole. Through distributing fresh fruit and vegetables to families in our community, we hope to increase the opportunities for healthy, well-balanced meals for young and old people alike.

Each classroom will have their own raised garden bed. The class gardens will benefit Southeast Elementary in many ways. The first is that the garden will help to teach children responsibility. The class garden will show students that they must take ownership of their work and take care of their plants to prevent them from dying and to help them to grow. It will also help students to understand the value of a job well done. Students who work hard to maintain the garden will benefit from the plants that grow at the end.

Out of curiosity, I have shown my first graders a variety of food. Zero percent could identify a kiwi, pomegranate or a bell pepper, but all of the students could name a Dorito. The demographics for our children at Baker school is over 60% below the poverty line. These children are being raised on fast food and sodas. Several of the nineteen 6 year olds in my class are obese. The objective of the garden would be to introduce students and parents to healthy food choices, and to the option of growing healthy choices to make it more affordable.

The ultimate goal of the garden and mini-orchard at Conlee Elementary School is to create a relationship between our students and the food they grow. This will not only culture a much needed respect for food, but children are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables they grow for themselves and make healthier choices in the future.