Organic gardening and the classroom

Are you looking for a way to get students’ hands dirty this Earth Day? Creating an organic garden is a fun way students can learn about the environment while practising their active global citizenship skills.

Craig and Marc Kielburger’s book, Take Action: A Guide to Active Citizenship, guides students to discover their passion and, ultimately, take action to affect positive change. The following excerpt is a fun exercise to try with your students.

How to organize a school organic garden

Do some research.

Find out why organic agriculture is important and how choosing to grow and eat local organic foods can help the environment. Also, try to estimate how far the food on your dinner plate had to travel before it reached your family’s grocery store. The farther the distance, the more pollution is created. That is why producing food locally is so important.

Think of what you will need to plant your own school garden. For example:

• A sunny patch of ground or a safe roof-top location in which to plant raised beds
• A generous supply of organic compost and well-rotted manure

Get support from a teacher and your principal.

Talk to a teacher and your principal about the research you have done and about the importance of having an organic garden in your school. You may wish to involve an adult mentor who has knowledge of organic gardening.

Build a team.

Involve your friends or give a presentation in front of your class about the environment and organic gardening. Ask for their help. There is strength in numbers.

Call a meeting.

Speak to your friends at school and in your community about helping to plan your organic garden. Ask them to become involved and meet with you to make a plan of action. You will also want to ask some knowledgeable adults for help.

Make a plan of action.

Address the following issues when you are organizing your organic garden:

• Should a letter be sent home to students' families explaining about your plans for a school garden?
• What kind of garden do you want to grow? You could grow flowers, root vegetables, salad greens, herbs, heritage vegetables or berries.
• How are you going to use your garden to teach others about environmental issues (like water pollution, soil erosion, biodiversity, pesticide/herbicide use or waste reduction)?

Take action and then review.

Make your organic garden a reality. Enjoy knowing that you have done something valuable to help the environment.

Have fun!

Click here to order Take Action: A Guide to Active Citizenship.

Happy gardening!

Catherine McCauley, M.Ed.
Director of Teacher Development

Free The Children is the largest network of children helping children through education in the world, with more than one million youth involved in our innovative education and development programs in 45 countries. Founded by international child rights activist Craig Kielburger, Free The Children has an established track-record of success, with three nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize and partnerships with the United Nations and Oprah’s Angel Network.