Schoolwide Community Farm & Garden-Chinese International School

The Chinese International School Community Farm and Garden (hereafter CISFarm) project was hatched in May 2018. The Farm became a reality in Septmeber 2018! 

CISFarm: 3500 sq feet farm built on government leased land adjacent to our campus.

CISFarm seeks to give our urbanized students the opportunity to understand their food origin-how and where it is grown. With few farmers markets or open green spaces to touch, feel, explore, this Farm hopes to fill this void: teach life cycle of plants, insects, fruit, and eventually death and rebirth (composting).

The mission: to educate young people on food origins and cycle of life. To instill an appreciation of food/nourishment and the impact of their food choices on the environment. This can ultimately inspire students to be mindful and engaged about the world around them.

During visits to the school farm, students witness and will learn respect for living things - no removal of anything so that others may appreicate and relish the space and its beings. 

Curriculum: every elemenary grade visits the CISFarm. In our fledgling program we have had 3 grades come through during relevant learning units (water, plants, sunlight). 

We have 3 afterschool programs already (one is dual language) for primary and middle school. In addition, we have had 4 oversubscribed volunteer days when school families come to work on larger projects: installing irrigation, bird prevention scaffolding, populating planters with soil.