Gardening for Lifelong Skills

My Students

Many of our students exist in generational poverty and have experienced horrific situations that no child should ever experience. We believe that exposing them to nature and success through gardening we will teach them to believe in themselves, trust people, make goals, and break the cycle.

We are a multicultural school located in rural South Dakota.

We have a population of 80% Native Americans and 100% reduced lunches. Our students are amazing kids, and we love them very much. They have learned to be tough but often defensive through their life experiences that often revolve around drug and alcohol problems along with poverty. We are striving for creative and innovative teaching methods to break the generational poverty that exists in our community. Our love and innovative teaching staff have assisted our students to enter and be successful after high school academically through the military and the work force. We are never satisfied with our curriculum, and we now believe that through an intensive aquaponics and gardening program that we will reach even more of our students and help them make their dreams come true.

My Project

Students will be working in our greenhouse and garden handling plants, dirt, and vegetables. They will be able to plant the seeds in pots placed in drip trays and using the hose and sprayers, water their plants and spray their cuttings daily. Our older kids will be able to assist our younger students as mentors, which will create a community of learners across curriculum and grade levels. Students will use the mobile thermometer to be able to make sure our greenhouse is at appropriate temperatures from our classroom. They will put the shade cover on when the temperature starts getting too high. Students will feel the full impact of the success of their projects by harvesting their garden and eventually eating their fish, vegetables, and sharing their success with other members of our community. I believe they will be able to share their harvest with their elders and other important people in their lives.

As the director of our new aquaponics and garden program, I envision the involvement of our entire pre-K through 12th grade student body during the school year and throughout our summer enrichment program.

From our small projects that we have already conducted, our students have come to school early to work, have brought their parents to school to share their success, and have become excited to learn. Teaching with nature helps students concentrate on learning, happiness, and life, rather than personal problems or failures. I believe that this new program will have the power to reach more of students to help them become happy and productive members of our society. They will be able to pass this love of life on to new generations.