Interest in environmental education is gaining momentum across the country. As individuals and groups turn their attention to issues of sustainability, there is a growing desire to introduce the importance of these topics to children. Global warming, food politics, and health issues are interrelated subjects that students at the Oxford Boys and Girls Club are exploring through a new Teaching Garden program. The joint efforts of the Barksdale Clubhouse, the Oxford Gardening Club, and the Southern Foodways Alliance helped implement an education program in which local Boys and Girls Club participants from ages six to 12 are involved in all aspects of caring for a 40-foot-by-120-foot vegetable and herb garden, including planting, watering, weeding, fertilizing, and harvesting. The mission of the Boys and Girls Club Teaching Garden is to help students understand the role of food in life—the garden stresses the importance of proper stewardship of the land and an appreciation for nature while promoting improved nutrition and academic success by highlighting healthy foods through educational programming.
The master plan of the Teaching Garden is to incorporate permanent raised beds divided into five parts including a friendship garden, which will consist of items donated by local residences and planted by students and their parents; a native plant area to be used for teaching children about identifying, using, and planting native plants and vegetables; an herb garden consisting of both edibles and ornamentals; a flower garden, which will attract beneficial insects and promote aesthetic enrichment; and a vegetable garden, which will provide the bulk of the students’ learning experience.
Although not officially certified, the Teaching Garden adheres to and promotes organic methods of plant production in order to educate students on the benefits of environmental sustainability and proper stewardship of the land.
There are plans to eventually expand the learning experience into the Boys and Girls Club’s kitchen by implementing curriculum that promotes healthy eating options through the students’ preparation and cooking of the produce they raise in the garden.
The summer 2008 pilot program was a great success. The students eagerly anticipated their daily garden experience, and while this was most of the the participants’ first time in a garden, others brought a previous cultural appreciation of gardening from growing up spending time helping to tend their families’ plots at home. The garden produced a wide range of vegetables, herbs, and flowers, including five varieties of heirloom tomatoes, local favorites such as squash and okra, and several types of flowers. Students made weekly donations to the local food bank and enjoyed the rest of the large summer harvest with their families.
There is a desire to expand the program in 2009, with a focus on community involvement. Volunteer opportunities exist this summer for anyone willing to donate time to work with the students, and individuals with previous gardening experience are welcome to assist in program and activity planning. Funding donations are also welcome. Anyone interested in participating in the Oxford Boys and Girls Club Teaching Garden can contact me at cmnicho1@olemiss.edu.
Cale Nicholson
