MMCA Organic Garden and Outdoor Classroom

Maria Montessori Charter Academy is a public charter school in Rocklin, CA. We serve about 300 kindergarten through 8th grade students from a variety of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds from school districts throughout the surrounding area. Teachers at our school employ a hybrid educational model, utilizing the Montessori philosophy and methodology to achieve state content standards. As a public school, we charge no tuition and students are selected by lottery from the pool of applicants.

Over the past 3 years of planning and 1 year of building, the school garden committee, under the leadership of teacher Petsy Wendt, has developed a ¼ acre organic school garden and outdoor classroom to build on the Montessori tradition of connection with the natural world. Students and teachers can use the garden as a context for learning in all of the content areas, from math and science to language and the arts. We aim to give students first-hand experience in where food comes from and how natural ecosystems are balanced. Students gain healthy physical activity and the chance to enjoy their own fresh, home-grown produce by working in the garden, as well as the peace and satisfaction that comes from a hands-on experience with the outdoors.

We hope that in partnership with the edible schoolyard project to move our garden classroom to higher levels including the 1/4 acre expansion for row crop, and bringing our own organic produce into our school lunch program.