Kitchen gardens sow a fertile seed in schools
[ The University of Melbourne Voice Vol. 2, No. 4
17 March - 14 April 2008 ] By Nerissa Hannink
The old adage that a bit of dirt is good for children is being fully embraced by the University’s Burnley campus. A new program is showing that the experience of gardening provides a great education too.
Two years ago lecturer in urban horticulture John Rayner and chef Stephanie Alexander discussed their vision to engage children in growing and cooking their own food from school kitchen gardens.
In 2007 they launched the course: Kitchen Gardens in Schools, and it was instantly oversubscribed.
The idea was to promote healthy eating in children by having them grow and eat food they produce themselves.
Mr Rayner says the course is about practical skills. “It is a blend of theory, instruction, practice and examples culminating in participants making and growing their own ‘kitchen gardens’ at Burnley.
“The course is designed to equip educators and others with the knowledge and skills to design, build and maintain a successful and productive school kitchen garden.
“The best examples of school garden programs are those delivered by teachers, but most don’t have horticultural experience, so this course bridges that gap. Teachers have enjoyed the course so much that they are looking into further study options, such as the Master in Urban Horticulture,” he says.
Some of the comments from teachers who undertook the course in 2007 include:
“All the practical and hands-on activities were great. Because this is the sort of stuff we’ll be doing with the kids.”
“I really enjoyed most sessions but finding out about growing vegetables and fruit trees was the most interesting and learning from people in the industry and who have a passion for what they do made it interesting.”
“The speakers were all really well versed in their topics, were entertaining and gave lots of extra information.”
Mr Rayner says the course covers horticultural skills such as soils, pests and diseases, planting and harvesting as well as designing and planning their garden.
“We aim to empower teachers to engage with the school children and the site to build a productive and beautiful garden. The program also encourages experiential learning about environmental issues like composting and being water-wise.”
He says the course is suitable for those with an existing school kitchen garden and those planning one – teachers, parents, garden team members and others.
“The great thing about a garden is that almost any aspect of it can be linked back to the school curriculum. Part of the course is devoted to examples of lesson plans in the garden, especially activities that link to the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS).
“A key outcome from the course is to enhance teachers’ confidence and skills to better plan and develop school kitchen gardens,” he says.
“While the kitchen garden is the focus in this course, a garden can also improve outdoor play access overall in a school. Many school grounds are devoid of vegetation and plants. Hopefully this course will lead schools and teachers to look at better natural play opportunities, outside of the more typical rubber and metal- dominated play structures.”
The course has been developed by a unique partnership between the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation, the Digger’s Club, Cultivating Community, the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne and the Burnley Campus, University of Melbourne.
|
|
