Veggie Village : A School Greenhouse and Gardening Project 

 Bird Dierking, Kimberly McLaughlin, Tim Howeth

  Target Group: All students Pre K-5, teachers, community members

  Purpose:

"It takes a village to raise a child." Veggie Village is the brainchild of four teachers whose desire is to bridge the gap between our school and its community. Veggie Village is a place where students, staff, and community will work together to build a team of life-long learners. Our goal is to construct and maintain an outdoor classroom built in the form of a greenhouse that not only provides hands-on learning for students, but ownership of something other than a textbook.

Our primary goal is to create a bridge between school and community while providing a practical, active, and ongoing gardening program that will enhance science, math, social studies, economics, and language arts instruction. We envision community members (including the local garden club), family members, and teachers working side by side with students in the greenhouse, garden plots, and classrooms.

 This project will also be seamlessly integrated into our after-school enrichment program. We want students to realize where their food comes from, to develop an appreciation and taste for vegetables, to grow plants they can eat, and to experience the economics of growing and selling food and plants at the local farmer's market. This project will provide hands-on learning opportunities related to many science Standards of Learning: life processes, living systems, interrelationships between humans and plants, resources, and soil science. We will endeavor to provide greenhouse services and information to community gardeners who would like to start plants early and participate in our project. The greenhouse will also provide teachers with an on-site laboratory where their students can develop experiments and explore scientific investigations.

 Activities

Students and teachers will use the greenhouse to contribute produce and flowering plants to the school and the community. Activities will include school-wide events, meet grade specific needs, and create a central focus on community as we include the greater school area in celebrations with music, food, and dance!

Science: Activities will include the following: composting, soil testing and amending, dissecting and understanding plant parts, the economics of growing and selling produce and plants, and any scientific investigations about which the students may inquire. Students will learn how to maintain their greenhouse and gardens. This project will allow students to develop practical skills. The greenhouse will also support nutrition education as students learn about the importance of fruits and vegetables in their daily diet.

Math: Instruction will be supported through the graphing of plant growth and watering needs, averaging the number of blooms or veggies per plant type, making predictions about growth patterns. Students will also apply knowledge of multiple math strands as they participate in the planning and budgeting of maintaining the greenhouse, and calculate price and profit as they grow and sell greenhouse products.

Art: The program will be enhanced as students use plants and flowers as inspiration for artistic models, and build on content knowledge. Observational skills will be enhanced as students sketch and photograph seeds, seedlings, plants, produce, fruit, and flowers.

Social Studies/History: The students will plan and implement a community harvest festival as they learn about the contributions of Native Americans and European settlers. Students will plant corn, squash, and beans in order to supply the feast.

Language Arts: Students will use research and information-gathering skills in the development of this project (planting schedule, plant selection and care, maintenance, garden plan). Like Thomas Jefferson, students will be keen observers and recorders of all aspects of this enterprise!

 Products:

The products of this greenhouse will be numerous. (a) Students will conduct their own experiments and will observe, record and manipulate data. (b) The community will have more involvement with student learning through volunteering and participating in team-building activities. (c) Fresh organic produce, plants, and flowers will be created for students' (and their families') enjoyment. (d) Compost will be produced to aid in plant growth and natural fertilization of the land around the school. (e) Students' science, art, and writing projects will be displayed throughout the school and/or community. Ultimately, the greenhouse will flourish and provide a great number of products as students, teachers, and community members work together!

Budgets

A majority of the grant money will be used to purchase the materials needed to build the greenhouse and hire skilled labor to assist with construction. Any remaining money will be used to buy supplies for gardening including soil, seeds, gardening tools, hose, shelving systems, gardening gloves, and a compost bin (please see the attached list for a breakdown of the budget).

 Expected Student Results

Cooperative learning will be imperative for the success of this project, and improved student communications and interaction skills are an expected outcome. This project will build confidence and character in the children, as well as a sense of community both within the school setting and between students/staff and local community members. Students will take ownership of the their learning, their responsibilities to the project, their successes and failures. Additionally, there will be many rich opportunities for individual and group problem solving. This project will provide direct hands-on application of state science, math, and social studies Standards of Learning.  

  Method of Evaluation

 The greenhouse grant committee will develop a plan for continuous improvement as follows: 1) Initial needs surveys for classroom teachers, students, and community participants. 2) Effectiveness surveys at the end of each school year. 3) Formal and informal analysis of student achievement in related content areas. 4) A student-written newsletter documenting learning experiences.

Outreach Plans

Outreach is primary to our goals. We feel this project will generate great excitement in our community. We plan a greenhouse "raising" event with a BBQ, music, and dancing at the local park, including our learning community, local Community Center members, and the local Garden Club. This "raising" will be the starting point of our project and provide us with the opportunity to recognize the foundation through a naming ceremony of the greenhouse. A plaque acknowledging the foundation's support will be installed on the greenhouse. Throughout the year we will provide training to teachers on how to effectively use the greenhouse. Students will take on the responsibilities of continuously producing compost, maintaining garden beds and the greenhouse, as well as the beautification of nearby community areas (such as the school sign on the main road, the front of the post office and local convenience store). Students and staff will sell produce, flowers, and other related products at the local Farmers Market, school, and other venues.