We are a group of international teachers who would like to create an outdoor school garden classroom on our campus with the objective of addressing a series of obstacles faced by our students. 

 

Our school is located in an area classified as a food desert. Many of our students, who live in the area, lack the knowledge and opportunities to develop healthy eating habits and access to fresh food and related resources.
 

​We plan to address the issue of food deserts by creating an outdoor classroom garden in which students will be taught through hands-on, project-based methods about seed sprouting, vegetable gardens, edible parts, and conventional methods of urban agriculture, as well as hydroponics and new technologies, local and regional ecosystems, health and nutrition, and environmental sustainability practices.
 

​In addition, despite the important services provided by insects, many people believe that all insects are harmful to humans and the environment. As educators, we strongly feel the need to teach the younger generations the critical role of insects in our everyday activities. In particular, we want to emphasize the significance of beneficial insects such as pollinators and natural enemies when growing our food, and their overall role in terrestrial ecosystems. 
 

​The outdoor classroom garden will provide our middle schoolers the opportunity to learn through hands-on, project-based activities about the importance of pollinators and their habitats, methods of friendly urban agriculture, local and regional ecosystems, environmentally sustainable practices, and the appreciation for natural resources.

The long-term goal is for our students to become experts in sustainable urban farming and ambassadors and activists in their own communities. We strive to create practical changes that will indirectly generate opportunities for the development of local microgreen economies in their communities.