Gardening

 

Gardening
Program


Lafayette School
began its Therapeutic Gardening Program in 2016.  This project was started with a grant
from The Project Learning Tree and the inspiration of our Clinical
Coordinator, Damon Watson.  Damion applied for and received grants to begin and sustain
a therapeutic garden which led to the student creation of “LEAFAYETTE Therapeutic
Garden”.
For 2017, Lafayette School was awarded a grant from The Whole Kids Foundation to continue to grow (pun intended) our
garden. Whole Kids Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) founded by Whole Foods Market.  Their Mission is to support school and
inspire families to improve children’s nutritional wellness.The students have
tried every vegetable harvested from the garden along with using the garden as a coping tool
when feeling emotionally overwhelmed.  The students learn the importance of
environmental stewardship, healthy therapeutic lifestyles, increased social and community
development, and reinforced positive academic achievement.

The students harvested
over 50 lbs of vegetables, which we prepared and cooked.  We enjoyed the taste of
potatoes, onions, garden beans, a garden salad and fried green tomatoes.  The students
dried the peppers they had grown and used them as a dry spice in food applications.  They
also experimented tasting a school grown watermelon, many for the first time.  We also shared
a lot of the produce with the community and to some
families.

 

Leafayette Therapeutic Garden’s main goal was to create life-long learning opportunities through the establishment, maintaining, and harvesting of a garden, create a learning environment that encourages the skill of observation, participation, team work, planning, design and maintenance, to develop in the student a sense of achievement through a child centered approach where students take ownership of the task and the outcome and to provide a therapeutic outlet for the students to use when in crisis or emotionally overwhelmed. The garden provided broader life lessons directly contributing to the mental, emotional & physical well-being of our students & community.OUR
STAFF & STUDENTS THANKS PROJECT LEARNING TREE GREENWORKS AND THE WHOLE KIDS FOUNDATION
FOR THEIR GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE LAFAYETTE SCHOOL “LEAFAYETTE”
GARDEN



A garden
is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry
and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.
— Gertrude Jekyll