The Anneliese Schools

One of the unique aspects of an education at Anneliese School’s is that all students, pre-school through 6th grade, receive garden instruction. Our garden program engages children’s minds, spirits, and bodily senses through the activities of gardening, cooking, and eating. In the process, they are educated as thoughtful, responsible citizens of planet earth.

Beginning in Kindergarten, our interdisciplinary garden curriculum takes a step beyond traditional science-based garden programs, to place an equally strong emphasis on the social and historical significance of food and farming in different parts of the world. As a result, the garden educates children through several overlapping genres: It serves as a biological classroom for the scientific study of life cycles and as a place where lessons in history, culture, art, math, and language come to life in fascinating new ways.

Our garden curriculum expands upon students’ regular coursework throughout the year, and it also builds upon itself over the duration of students’ education at the school. As students progress through the program, they delve deeper into the practical work of maintaining a healthy, productive garden—acquiring skills in planting, tending, harvesting, composting, pest management, and water reclamation in an organic garden. At the same time, students also become “eco-literate,” learning about the culture, science, and politics of “The Garden” on a broader level. They develop an understanding of important ecological principles in the garden and learn to apply these principles to major environmental issues in our world today.

Part of what makes this a truly pioneering and visionary garden program is that students learn not only that they should do things like recycle, compost, and eat locally, but they gain real knowledge of the reasons why practices such as these are so important.