South Kilbourne Elementary

South Kilbourne Goals for the Learning Garden is to:
provide an open door space for students to explore nature through inquiry.
use the space to integrate all subjects across the curriculum.
help students maintain focus by spending time outdoors.

This grant will allow the school to have a learning garden which will provide natural learning experiences for students. In addition, it will foster a love of reading and nature, which is crucial in early childhood development and promotes student achievement. Statistics show that if students spend ten minutes in a green space it will increase their focus and attentiveness. Gardening provides different forms of engagement for children, including designing, planting, and maintaining gardens; harvesting, preparing, and sharing food; working cooperatively in groups; learning about science and nutrition; and creating art and stories inspired by gardens. Having a reading garden will provide a choice for students to interact with nature and provide experiences they may never have. Exposure to healthy foods, moderate physical activity, and positive social interactions while gardening in childhood can lead to a lifetime of gardening. The process of gardening gives empowering experiences. Students engaged in designing and maintaining gardens show an increase in self-efficacy, pro-environmental attitudes and environmental stewardship. Active gardening, such as picking flowers or planting trees as a child, has been shown to have a strong influence on how natural areas and gardens are valued in adulthood. Additional benefits of having a school garden are a wonderful way to use the schoolyard as a classroom. It will reconnect students with the natural world and the true source of their food, and teach those valuable gardening and agriculture concepts and skills that integrate with several subjects, such as math, science, art, health and physical education, and social studies, as well as several educational goals, including personal and social responsibility.