School gardens are a wonderful way to use the schoolyard as a classroom, reconnect students with the natural world and the true source of their food, and teach them valuable gardening and agriculture concepts and skills that integrate with several subjects, such as math, science, art, health and physical education, and social studies, as well as several educational goals, including personal and social responsibility.
The Benefits of School Gardens
Experience and research have shown numerous benefits of school gardens and natural landscaping:
- students learn focus and patience, cooperation, teamwork and social skills.
- they gain self-confidence and a sense of “capableness” along with new skills and knowledge in food growing — soon-to-be-vital for the 21st century.
- garden-based teaching addresses different learning styles and intelligences; our non-readers can blossom in the garden!
- achievement scores improve because learning is more relevant and hands-on.
- students become more fit and healthy as they spend more time active in the outdoors and start choosing healthy foods over junk food.
- the schoolyard is diversified and beautified.
- graffiti and vandalism decrease because students respect what they feel some ownership in.
The school garden at O'Connell Secondary School was built in 2018. We started planting our first vegetables that Spring! Each year Mr. Flood with the help of our students plant fruit and vegetables in the plot that is in the centre of our courtyard. Each year, we rotate what vegetables we grow in each section and try out something new. We have even planted a new section of fruit trees/shrubs along the boundary fence beside the school gates.
