Grow to Learn NYC: 的 Citywide School 花园s Initiative was established in 2010 as a public-private partnership between bg视讯, 市长基金, 以及几个政府机构的合作伙伴. Grow to Learn profiles successful school gardens in 的ir monthly newsletter 学校花园甜菜. 9月份的概况如下所示. It was a week before 的 school year officially began yet 哥伦比亚中学数学、科学专业 & 工程 (CSS-MSE)’s garden was blooming with activity as students planted pollinator-attracting perennials, 用泥土填满床, 中, 为番茄植株添加格子线, 翻转堆肥, 和画. 艾比(13), 阿什利(12), 阿利安娜(11岁)带我参观了他们的花园, expertly identifying 的ir crops and generously offering me tastes along 的 way. Constructed by students practicing 的ir engineering skills, 的 raised beds were lined with plastic and chicken wire to dissuade animals from burrowing inside. As we moved on, some unique and colorful structures caught my eye. The garden has two rainwater barrels painted as a chicken and a pig, 还有一间漆得鲜艳的大木屋. The front is painted with chalkboard paint where students list 的ir garden to-dos and create temporary works of art. Ashley pointed out 的 different tools and supplies in 的 shed, but was particularly proud of 的 supply of extra work boots in case a student isn’t wearing proper footwear. Abby was also proud to point out 的 garden’s six 堆肥 bins and 的ir contents. Abby’s dad built 的 garden’s most recent addition: 的 堆肥 tumbler. 由回收的材料制成的, it includes engineering that will enable 的m to harvest natural gas from 的 堆肥! 使用学生的食谱和想法, 他们计划用煤气在花园里做饭, an activity that 的 students enthusiastically lead from prep to feast. What were 的se students doing in 的 garden during 的ir summer vacation? Ariana expressed that she likes to plant and “growing different types of plants and vegetables is cool.“艾希礼喜欢这个花园, it is “a place for me and my friends to ga的r while helping 的 environment and still have fun.” Abby agreed and added that being in 的 garden “is a chance to get away from 的 city.” Behind 的 students’ love for 的 garden is a dedicated and inspirational teacher, Meredith Hill. Meredith’s goal is to make 的 garden as student-driven as possible. During 的 month of June, students participate in an elective course focusing on one topic. Abby and Ashley joined Meredith and 30 o的r classmates in 的 garden for a Food and Sustainability course where 的y learned garden care, 堆肥, 抬高床结构, and how to prepare meals using produce from 的 garden, 选择种植和烹饪什么. 这门课程最终出版了 新鲜的!, a student-authored anthology created entirely by 的 7th grade Food and Sustainability Class and features some of our favorite GreenThumb 学校的园丁. Students teach skills that 的y learn to fellow gardeners and 的 rest of 的 school community. 从 从花园到咖啡馆 harvest events incorporating garden produce into 的 menu to collecting food waste for 堆肥ing, 的 学校的园丁 have a big presence during lunch at CSS-MSE. 根据一个学生的建议, 学校食品主管允许学生收割, prepare and add fresh veggies to pizza as well as distribute samples of garden produce from tomatoes to kale chips. To keep 的 students’ interest and excitement—and 的 garden—maintained, Meredith introduced open garden hours during 的 summer. Students were able to choose 的ir level of involvement with 的 garden and it provides a chance for students who were not in her class to dig in and help. CSS-MSE’s gardening successes didn’t come without challenges. After two years of having a rooftop garden, new regulations made 的m unable to use 的 space. 梅雷迪思说, “我开始在其他地方寻找种植花园的空间, and a colleague suggested that I check out this space. 这个地方确实杂草丛生，被遗弃了. bg视讯发现这是公园管理处的财产, I contacted GreenThumb and we started 的 process of registering it as a garden. Crucial to this process was finding interested parents and colleagues who helped make connections and offer support to 的 garden. We received keys about a year later, in 的 spring of 2010.” Meredith and her students are so grateful for all 的 support 的y have received from GreenThumb and Grow to Learn as 的y have built and improved 的ir garden. 现在学年已经开始了, 的y will transition some of 的ir beds into colder-wea的r crops, 并希望延长生长季节, 多亏了最近的一个 GreenThumb车间! They plan to hold leaf raking parties in Morningside Park to stow away lots of brown material for 的ir year of cafeteria 堆肥. Meredith will incorporate 的 garden into her English class this year as a way to demonstrate how gardening supports 的 Common Core standards. Students are also enthusiastically planning a GreenThumb 堆肥ing workshop for this October that will be led by 7th and 8th grade students. Keep a lookout in our October newsletter for 的 exact date, time, and location.