Growing Community in the School & Youth Garden

We know the benefits of gardening, how it promotes a healthy, active lifestyle, encourages physical fitness, nutritional awareness. The act of gardening creates ecological awareness and encourages environmental stewardship. Young people who work together in a a group or school garden gain social skills, and learn how to respect one another and work cooperatively. Garden-based learning in the school garden provides meaningful, inquiry-based learning opportunities that increase student achievement and understanding.

School gardens are perfect places to build the school community, and extend that social connection beyond school grounds. Take a look at the activities you can do with youth, from the Royal Horticultural Society, Community growing with young people | Campaign for School Gardening.

Read about Growing a School Community on Edutopia, where an elementary school garden in Las Vegas has fostered community by giving English-speaking staff and Spanish-speaking families a shared goal, to feel welcomed and close the cultural and linguistic gap between families and the teaching staff.

The gardens can be a source of reengaging youth in disadvantage settings, in this study "Sowing and Growing" Life Skills Through Garden-Based Learning to Reengage Disengaged Youth (2016), by Son Truong, Tonia Gray, and Kumara Ward, Western Sydney.

Click on the grey button below to continue with the lesson about Youth Development and School Gardens: