An amazing project in the city of Thunder Bay is the school garden at Agnew H Johnson school. This garden project began in 2008 and was officially opened on Sept 17th of 2008. The garden, named Le Coeur d'Agnew/Edible Incredible Garden by the dual track, English, French students has been integrated into the school culture.
The school has a nutrition committee and a gardening committee. The nutrition committee works to offer healthy lunches, limit candy as rewards, offer local, healthy food alternatives at school events.The classroom work of the committees addresses issues of food systems, taste education, agricultural awareness, biodiversity, media literacy and food skills.
One class per year is involved in the project. One of the parents is involved in teaching the class and planting the garden with the students. Students, families and the community is then involved in maintaining the garden throughout the Summer months. The garden project is integrated into the curriculum and the students are involved in classes on food culture around the world and nutrition. The students have been shown photos of families around the world and their weekly food and also movie clips of food production around the world. There are often class discussions regarding food and culture. The students already have an amazing amount of knowledge of foods.
The class will be involved in planting the vegetable garden as the snow recedes and maintaining it with their families over the Summer Break. Last year, the harvest from the garden was used to produce a hot soup for the whole school.
The effects of the garden have spread to other nearby schools. Students are the local High School were involved in building a shed for the garden at Agnew school. The shed is used to house garden equipment. This kind of involvement helps strengthen ties between schools and community in the neighbourhood.
The garden at Agnew H Johnson school has been a huge success. It encourages children to awaken their senses and awareness of the environment and they place in it. The students gain and appreciation of the value of healthy foods and of their community.
http://www.tbnewswatch.com/charactersineducation/Jodi_and_Jennifer.aspx
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