Kathryn Winn Primary School

The gardens themselves are the cornerstone of the Kathryn Winn Environmental Gardens; however, the program has additional facets as well. A cafeteria recycling program that has grown into a school-wide recycling movement is a complementary piece, beginning with the simple goal of collecting paper to recycle and now including recycling initiatives to collect paper products, milk cartons from the cafeteria, plastic wrappers, aluminum products, and food scraps. The food scraps from the cafeteria are composted using a vermicomposting system located by the gardens.

The unique approach of recycling, reclaiming, and reusing resources creates a curriculum that stimulates interest and teaches important values to students. With help from the Whole Kids Foundation, students will be given interest inventories throughout the growing process and ending at harvest to analyze the changes in their eating habits. This will reflect how their personal experience has influenced their choices.