When I first started working in IT at Woodstock Elementary School (WES), I never imagined I'd end up leading a gardening project. But as someone who enjoys being outside, gardening, and learning about food justice, I couldn't help but notice our school gardens were underused. That's when I decided to take action.
It started small - during my first year I invited students to work in the garden during recess. Things didn’t take off until two fourth-graders, Eloisa and Harper, approached me the following year. "What's going on with the garden?" they asked. "We want to keep going." Their enthusiasm was contagious, and suddenly, we had a student-led organization on our hands.
The beauty of this project is its simplicity. You don’t need a lesson plan or extensive supplies. All you need is a dedicated time and a place to garden with students. You'll find that there's endless creativity that comes from having students do this work, but at the same time, it's very simple. You just need them to go outside and start pulling weeds. Forty minutes a week can create a movement.
We started in the fall, building our core group of interested students. When the winter came, we moved indoors, caring for houseplants and researching our special interests. For example, we had a student do a deep dive on ants and their role in agriculture! Come spring, we turned to our community for support, asking for seed donations. As soon as the ground thawed we were back outside, preparing beds and planting.
Deep bonds formed - not just between the students, but with the plants themselves. I'll never forget the day Leafy, our peppermint plant, was discovered deceased after spring break. The kids wrote a collective letter, which they read at his funeral, expressing how much this plant meant to them. It was a powerful moment that showed the care within our community.
Another notable moment of community care occurred during our reconstruction of the garden beds this summer. It was hard work and people showed up. It was such a gratifying experience to revitalize the garden with the support of students and their parents. Now, the WES garden will be around for generations of gardeners to come.
The rewards of this work are immeasurable. I've watched students form friendships across grade levels, seen their creativity blossom, and experienced the joy that comes from being together in nature. As one student put it, they felt "more connected, becoming friends with people they wouldn't normally become friends with."
To any educator considering starting a similar project, I’d say go for it! Talk to your administrators, find a consistent time, and don't be afraid to let the students take the lead. You will be amazed by the creativity and leadership that emerges.Â
This experience has been transformative for me. It's shown me that consistency is the key to change and how caring for the Earth brings people together. Even as I'm moving on from WES, I'm thrilled to see the project continuing, with plans for high school students to take on leadership roles.
Remember, it doesn't take much to start - just a little dirt, a few seeds, and a willingness to let your students' creativity grow. The rest will come naturally.Â
Allison Yoo-Babbitt
Woodstock Elementary School
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