The Youth Farm serves as an outdoor classroom for students at the High School for Public Service. We want to provide this opportunity to all 5 schools at Wingate Campus. The Farm provides a welcoming space for hands on and interdisciplinary education. Classes on the farm engage students who struggle with the methods and structure of classroom education, and specifically serves to help those students who most need extra support to be engaged and interested in school. On the Youth Farm students engage their brains and bodies in completely different ways then indoor lessons. With such a diverse range of topics and styles of engagement possible, the sky is the limit.
With such a diverse range of topics and styles of engagement possible, the sky is the limit. Here are some examples of classes:
· Gym classes that engage the mind as well as the body through soil preparation, compost turning and incorporation
· Science lessons that are hands on and bring science to life through plant and ecological observation
· Nutrition lessons involving picking, preparing and eating where students can taste, see and discuss the value of nutritious food choices
· Art classes that beautify the neighborhood through outdoor sign and mural painting
The Youth Farm’s School Liaison will meet with teachers from all Wingate schools and help them to alter their current curriculum to incorporate hands on, farm-based learning to meet academic goals.
As a result of your support, hundreds of new students from 6th to 12th grade will have classes on the farm. Our goal is for these lessons to make the learning process joyful and eye-opening for students, showing them meaningful learning can happen outside the classroom through direct experience.
