The Garden at Waimea Country School
Our creative, safe, and welcoming learning garden fosters children’s connections to the natural world, raises awareness about food and nutrition, and creates a bridge between outdoor and indoor classrooms. Students spend time in the garden/yard daily with gardening projects integrated into the curriculum, when possible.
Students in all classes are actively engaged in the creation and maintenance of the garden. Students collect food waste daily, compost it, and then add it back to the soil when ready. Students in all classes cultivate soil, plant, weed, water, and harvest. Students maintain the garden beds, often using plants of their choosing.
Garden classes often tie directly into units of study in science, art, mathematics, language, or social studies. Students learn how to live a sustainable lifestyle and how to care for the land. Children find great satisfaction in being outside and harvesting the food they plant and grow. Students learn to prepare and utilize the plants we harvest, promoting healthy eating habits and knowledge of how to eat local, slow, nutritious food. All students participate in the Spring Plant Sale, showing off their work in the garden and earning money for the garden program.
The garden is fully accessible during recess, and students observe, harvest, weed, and otherwise tend garden beds during weekly classes. They receive instruction on proper use and care of garden tools, which they then use to perform manual tasks in the school garden and yard. Closed-toed shoes or boots are required for garden class. Children learn proper procedures for washing and preparing fresh produce, so they can harvest and consume the fruits of their labor.
A goal of the garden program is to inspire and educate students and their families about small scale food production. Students learn where food comes from and how good it tastes when homegrown. For example, students planted uʻala (purple sweet potatoes) in the spring one year that they then harvested, cooked up, and served at the school’s back to school picnic in the fall.
All students participate in GART, a gardening/art hybrid where students experience both classes. On Wednesday afternoons, ‘Ohi’a students work in small groups. On Friday afternoons, Koai’a and Koa students are combined and split into two groups.
“I love the integration of the garden and art program into the weekly schedule.” ~ WCS Parent Kristin Delgado
The Spring Plant Sale is held each April to raise money for the school garden program.
Stay connected with us for details about this annual event.
Please join us!
Waimea Country School is part of the Hawaii Island School Garden Network, whose mission it is to “help island schools build gardening and agricultural programs that will significantly contribute to the consumption of locally produced food.”
Click here to visit Waimea Country School’s Garden Portfolio on the Kohala Center’s site.
Become a friend of the garden ~ Donate Today!
