Winston Churchill High School

About our Garden

What grade levels worked in the garden and did you or another teacher link some of your curriculum outcomes to the garden?

.The course digs into the health, growth, and harvesting of garden produce, flowers, and fruit. Concepts such as plant anatomy, soil health, landscaping, seeding / planting, and harvest will be taught within this course following the curriculum set out by the Government of Alberta. Students interested in a horticulture or agriculture post-secondary education can also gain work experience credits through the maintenance and care of the garden.

What vegetables/fruit do you grow in your garden? What do you have a difficult time growing in your school garden?

Grow foods that can be used in-house for our own foods programs

What do you do with the harvest from your garden? Do you have a harvest celebration? Do you use it in the cafeteria, or culinary classes? Do you donate some of the produce?

A foundational goal of the garden is to grow foods that can be used in-house for our own foods programs, but also to donate extra food to programs in our community. We plan on partnering with community members to grant garden lots in exchange for help tending to the space during the summer months. Students interested in a horticulture or agriculture post-secondary education can also gain work experience credits through the maintenance and care of the garden. Produce from our garden harvested in the summer can be donated or sold to local restaurants / farmers markets.

Do you have community involvement? Do you have parents and volunteers? Have been able to source other funding to help your garden grow?

A foundational goal of the garden is to grow foods that can be used in-house for our own foods programs, but also to donate extra food to programs in our community. We plan on partnering with community members to grant garden lots in exchange for help tending to the space during the summer months. Students interested in a horticulture or agriculture post-secondary education can also gain work experience credits through the maintenance and care of the garden. Produce from our garden harvested in the summer can be donated or sold to local restaurants / farmers markets.

What are your future plans for the school garden?

Within three years we would like to have all our garden beds accounted for by the school, students, and members of our community. By five years, pollinator-friendly shrubs, perennials and fruit species to be planted in the surrounding space. A 10-year goal for us is to have a flourishing garden space that has deep roots within the community and a robust academic program.