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| The BKE Garden Photo Courtesy of EDG Photography |
Last week we discussed some of Wisconsin’s wonderful environmental and wellness programs aimed at educating K-12 students. This week I will be highlighting Brooklyn Elementary School (BKE) and its participation in some of these programs. As a proud member of the Brooklyn, Wisconsin community and the daughter of a veteran BKE staff member, I’m honored to share BKE’s story. In the interest of full disclosure, however, it’s important to understand that I have been involved with these projects and hold BKE close to my heart. I hope their journey inspires you. Enjoy!
Growing the Garden: Right on the edge of rural Wisconsin, in the heart of a small town sits Brooklyn Elementary school. Though the school has been there for many years, a newly designed brick façade lines the outside of the building, a testament to the community’s continued support of the institution. Near the entrance of the building are towering pillars inviting staff, students and community members into a large, newly renovated auditorium. Walking through the halls staff and students are happy to point out their renovated rooms as well as some older beloved classrooms, a library and a gym, but it’s clear that one of the most treasured aspects at Brooklyn is a quaint little garden just a few feet from the school.
Filled with lettuce, kale, tomatoes, cucumbers, marigolds and more, the garden has become so much more than a class project. Cared for by staff, students and community members alike, the garden has become a part of Brooklyn, inspiring additional events and experiences that are creating change beyond this tight-knit community.
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| The marigold bed within the BKE garden Photo Courtesy of the Green and Healthy Committee |
Motivated by the Monarch: The creation of Brooklyn’s garden is the culmination of a dream that, for veteran BKE teacher Mary Kay Gillespie, started more than twenty years ago. Growing up on a farm, Gillespie knew the importance of connecting students with their food and creating an outdoor learning space. In fact, studies show that students can gain a number of academic and health benefits from participating in stewardship related activities such as a school garden.
“Around the time that I started teaching there was a resurgence of interest in becoming good stewards for the Earth,” said Gillespie. “I was also seeing more students growing up in the suburbs and they were disconnected from the food system. Creating a school garden was one way to teach stewardship and the science of food.”
At the time, creating a school garden wasn’t possible but Gillespie and a team of teachers and administrators at Brooklyn Elementary were able to create a butterfly garden. In fact, the landscaping just outside of the school was replanted with pollinator friendly plants. Through this garden, students were able to get hands-on experience during the pollinator unit while also learning the important connection between pollinators and the health of the Earth. The success of this garden also led the fourth grade team to plant a prairie near the school grounds.
Though the butterfly garden was beautiful, staff were still interested in creating a vegetable garden and thanks to the help of staff, student, community members and stewardship programs, that dream came true.
“It was the right people at the right time,” said Gillespie, who explained that about five years ago Brooklyn Elementary started a group, now called the Green and Healthy committee, that worked together to apply to grants and plan healthy events for the school. Over the past five years this committee has included Gillespie, Meghan Multhauf, Meghan Mapes, and Kelly Pankratz, with development help from Mary Weber, Dawn Donner Chambers, Caitlin Rutz, Kelli Massey, Solim Chung and Amy Miller. Additionally, nearly every staff member has contributed in some way with school principal Kerri Modjeski, district administrator Dr. Brian Busler and Brooklyn PTO providing significant support.
Thanks to the work of this committee and administrators, the school was able to secure a $4,000 grant from the State of Wisconsin which allowed them to install their first raised-bed vegetable garden. Unfortunately, shortly after the garden was installed building plans were put in place that required the garden to be moved. The community and the construction company Findorff couldn’t bear to see the garden demolished, however, so Findorff hosted a weekend of community service where employees, BKE staff and community members voluntarily moved the garden to a new location a few feet from the school and the new parking lot.
From there the garden only grew thanks to grants from organizations and donations from companies. In fact, by 2016, the garden had grown significantly and students and staff were in need of a shed that would allow them to store all of their tools, some of which were donated by Fiskers. Once again the community was there to support BKE. Thanks to fundraisers and the help of high school teacher Mr. Prahl and his class of carpenters, a new shed was built and delivered to the garden grounds. Staff and students worked hard to seal the shed and decorate the window boxes in time for the first garden-based summer school course held in July 2016. BKE teacher Kelli Massey welcomed second, third and fourth grade summer school students for a two-week course that centered on the garden. From art and science to creating healthy recipes using produce from the garden, Massey and her students explored many different aspects of gardening. Students in the course shared that they loved learning healthy recipes and facts about gardening that they could then share with their family members. The students enjoyed the activities so much that BKE is working to incorporate a salad bar into the spring lunch menu. Some of the items from the salad bar will be supplied by the school garden and handpicked by staff and students.
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| Students create a healthy recipe as a part of the BKE summer school course Photo Courtesy of the Green and Healthy Committee |
• energy
• environmental and sustainability education
• environmental health
• health and wellness
• recycling and waste management;
• school site
• transportation
• water
Schools participating in the program can earn grant opportunities and more by showing achievement in each of the nine areas. As BKE progresses through the nine areas they will reach smaller milestones, which will provide them with more opportunities. At this time the school has reached the first milestone, the Sprout level, by completing a detailed application that was accepted by the Green and Healthy Schools program. Over time, the school can then work towards Seedling status, which requires the school to document achievement in one of the nine focus areas. The next step is to become a Sapling school, which requires that school to show achievement in five areas. Finally, when achievement has been shown in all nine areas the school will reach Sugar Maple status, which will allow the school to become eligible for a number of grants and additional opportunities.
Over the next few years the committee will be working with staff, student and the community to fulfill these areas and they would welcome your input in support! If you have ideas or would like to become involved reach out to me in the comments section below or via Facebook message @curiouscolumnist and I will connect you with the BKE Green and Healthy team.
Putting the Healthy in Green and HealthyOf course, Green and Healthy isn’t all about gardening, it’s also about exercise, eating right and promoting health throughout the community. So, join us later this week as we discuss the BKE Dream Room, their participation in Driven to Better Health and the BKE Move-a-Thon.
Want more information on the benefits of school gardens? Check out the following sources:The Effects of School Gardens on Students and Schools: Conceptualization and Considerations for Maximizing Healthy Development: http://heb.sagepub.com/content/34/6/846.full.pdf+htmlImpact of Garden-Based Learning on Academic Outcomes in Schools: Synthesis of Research
Between 1990 and 2010: http://rer.sagepub.com/content/83/2/211.full.pdf+html
So cool. Great work with this post and blog overall!
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