Nutrients for Life undertakes a variety of projects related to soil science and agricultural sustainability.

Current initiatives

Teacher Ambassadors:

In 2010, Nutrients for Life launched a pilot project to improve its connection with Canada’s classrooms. We teamed with two Teacher Ambassadors in Manitoba; both are teachers who actively use Nutrients for Life learning materials. One is located in a rural area of Manitoba, the other in an urban setting. Given their knowledge of the materials, and their experience putting it to work, the teachers will provide valuable pedagogical insight to help refine content and make it as meaningful as possible to students. Working with them, we are able to gauge the needs of educators, receive input and feedback on our resources, and establish linkages between our resources and the curriculum.

The pilot project in Manitoba will help guide the foundation’s efforts to establish more direct classroom connections right across the country; we are already planning to expand the Teacher Ambassador program to two more Provinces!

School Garden Network:

Community and school gardens are popping up across Canada. Nutrients for Life plans to showcase and connect school gardens across Canada on its website. We will also provide a variety of resources to help teachers plan and build plots that contribute to better student understanding of soil science. Students will be encouraged to post photos and videos of their gardens and share project ideas and findings.

The School Garden Network (www.schoolgardennetwork.ca) will be a clearinghouse for information on school gardens, best practices, links to the curriculum and expert advice about the mechanics of building and maintaining a school garden.  It will showcase existing programs to ensure schools can share information and access resources and blueprints. It will also serve as a catalyst to encourage students and teachers to get their own gardens growing, connecting them with community partners and industry leaders.

Key elements of the website are:

• A step-by-step, downloadable blueprint to start and maintain a garden, based on a school’s location and the input of schools across Canada. Along with an online forum for teachers to exchange best practices and lessons.
• Curriculum-based teacher mentoring tools, such as exercises, study aids and essay tie-ins. Teachers can use these resources as guides or bring them directly into the classroom – with the support of Teacher Ambassadors.
• A resource centre, which will provide comprehensive, easy-to-use links to community organizations that can help build gardens, either through advice, funding, volunteer support or in-kind donations.
• Downloadable expert videos on topics such as nutrition and soil science.
• An interactive showcase of successful school gardens across the country, including a social media component.

There are many benefits to placing gardens within the school environment.

Gardens provide experiential learning that ties into existing curriculum subjects such as chemistry, biology, math, social studies, history and English. Gardening brings these subjects to life, especially science, and helps students discover how they fit together. School gardens can help put the science back into environmental education.

Through the School Garden Initiative, students and teachers can connect with other communities, share ideas experiences and work together to learn and grow. It will nurture engaged citizens, who truly understand the impact of food security and global issues through effective, experiential science learning opportunities. Tending to a garden illustrates the connection between sustainable agriculture and the food people eat.

This initiative will help young people succeed in school and in life. It will improve the health of our youth with food knowledge and build healthy, green communities.

Future initiatives

Learning Gardens:

Prototype gardens will be established in communities across Canada to provide training grounds for the teachers, students and volunteers who are establishing school gardens or have an interest in doing so.

Learning gardens will showcase various types of gardens, highlight best practices and be central and highly visible in their communities. They will be used to host workshops and hands-on sessions led by educators and specialists. Learning Gardens will also provide gardening opportunities, facilities and educational resources for schools that are unable to house a garden, due to space restriction or location.

School Twinning:

School twinning within Canada and around the world will encourage students to develop an enriched understanding of how climate, soil, and economic realities impact the challenge of global food security.