Growing Food-Focused Friends

Exploring the seed to table process at WEVS

 
 

An interdisciplinary approach

Food is such a rich, broad and multi-disciplinary topic that it provides a beautiful lens through which to explore our local, global, and wildlife communities. Being an urban school, we are limited in our direct connections to the natural world, so here at West End Village School, we bring nature to us! We work to foster deep and meaningful connections to the earth through playful explorations of the seed-to-table process in both our outdoor and indoor gardens. By putting food at the center of our curriculum, we are able to explore the nuances of geographic influence on agriculture, cuisine and cultural traditions, while simultaneously building the foundation for deeper explorations into environmentalism, health & wellness, social justice and innovation.

 
 

Benefits of a Food-focused Curriculum

  • keeping a school garden provides hands-on opportunities to build a variety of STEM Skills including: cause & effect, measurement, time, observation, experimentation, critical thinking, problem-solving, record keeping, etc.

  • placing food at the center of our curriculum increases exposure to new foods, thus increasing children’s familiarity and comfort with eating a variety of nutrient-dense foods

  • getting into the habit of growing our own food increases long-term self-sufficiency and sets children up with foundational life skills of growing, preparing and preserving food

  • sourcing local foods and keeping a school garden supports a strengthened sense of place and connection to community

  • growing food fosters deeper understanding of human impact on the land, both positively and negatively, thus increasing sensitivity and awareness of our environmental impact

  • food offers children a tangible entry-point into multi-cultural and geographic explorations

  • exploring the seed-to-table process invites inquiry into and observation of life-cycles, the food chain, water & weather systems, photosynthesis, symbiotic relationships, etc.

  • food serves as an access point into social justice work and community service projects

  • caring for plants fosters empathy, perspective taking, responsibility & belonging