We are an educational service providing both an in school Sustainability and Wellness Program to students from K to 7 as well as an After School Program providing a Garden Club and Cooking Club to 2 Burnaby Schools. The program began in 2011 with the creation of the first edible school garden in Burnaby to bring the classroom into a garden setting and integrating the BC Core Competencies and Curriculum as a way to foster eating habits, food security and literacy, environmental awareness and mental health.
The full after school and in school program is offered at Forest Grove Elementary and Edmonds Community School to approximately 600 students as well as a mini program at Burnaby Mtn Secondary with about 12 students and once a year at Windsor Elementary to about 150 students.
The positive change we hope to make is to continue to foster a deeper connection to nature, the environment surrounding a school community while also providing valuable tools to foster a deeper connection to the students themselves by growing gardens together in a variety of ways.
Alumni students have told us if it were not for our program and creating a connection to a garden, they would not have the desire to learn more ways of environmental sciences and education. Students have told us they feel a difference after being in the garden; a better state of calm and focus, excitement and joy from exploring the garden and learning more about growing food.
We also have a Wellness and Cooking Summer Camp offered to children ages 9 to 13 for 3 weeks in the summer that has children from around the Lower Mainland.