Building our Kind School Garden: A Learning Journey

This spring, our learners took on an exciting hands-on project: building a school garden, with a vision of growing it into a full community garden to help feed others. This experience was more than planting seeds; it was about developing real-world skills, building confidence, and creating a living classroom.

Project Overview

Our goal was to design, build, and care for a garden space on our playground. Along the way, learners developed skills in leadership, collaboration, engineering, communication, math, environmental science, and artistic expression.

Skills and Activities:

1. Community Engagement and Public Speaking

Field trip to Home Depot

Learners practiced public speaking by requesting donations

Built confidence advocating for a community project

2. Math, Budgeting, and Decision-Making

Selected soil, seeds, and supplies

Compared prices and calculated quantities needed

Made decisions based on budgeting and planning

3. Creativity, Branding, and Design

Spray-painted garden beds using our Kind Academy brand colors

Added artistic expression and ownership to the project

4. Environmental Science and Hands-On Work

Filled beds with nutrient-rich soil

Transplanted seedlings and planted seeds to grow new plants

Learned about plant biology, soil health, and ecosystems

5. Critical Thinking and Spatial Planning

Strategically placed garden beds in the playground

Considered sunlight, shade, and playground safety

Applied problem-solving and planning skills

6. Engineering and Collaboration

Built a garden bench to create a reflection space

Practiced teamwork, measuring, and basic construction skills

7. Language Development and Scientific Observation

Journaling and discussing changes in the garden

Strengthened descriptive writing, scientific thinking, and communication

8. Stewardship, Responsibility, and Environmental Care

Daily watering and plant care routines

Practiced responsibility, patience, and respect for living things

Reflections and Next Steps

This project offered our learners a deep, meaningful way to apply academic skills to the real world. Beyond academics, they developed leadership, ownership, and a sense of community responsibility. As our garden grows, we envision it becoming a gathering space not just for our school but for the wider community.

We are proud of what our learners have accomplished and excited to see how this project continues to bloom.