Above: Middle School students break ground on the Launch Pad Learning Garden during a service day project.
Introducing the Learning Garden: A Living Laboratory for Student Growth
The Learning Garden is a dynamic, hands-on program that transforms the school garden at 蘑菇传媒 into a year-round living laboratory for students of all ages. Fully integrated into the curriculum, the Learning Garden blends horticulture, botany, pollinator studies, sustainability, and nutrition education into meaningful, real-world learning experiences.
More than a traditional garden, this thoughtfully designed space supports academic growth, curiosity, and connection across grade levels. It invites students to learn by doing鈥攐bserving natural systems, asking questions, testing ideas, and reflecting on outcomes鈥攚hile building a deeper understanding of the world around them.
STEM Takes Root Across All Grades
Beginning in the Lower School and expanding through Middle and Upper School, the Learning Garden engages students from PreKindergarten through 12th grade in age-appropriate, hands-on STEM learning. Students explore concepts through planting, harvesting, measuring, budgeting, and experimenting, while developing a deeper understanding of soil science, ecosystems, sustainability, and healthy food systems.
As students grow, so do the learning opportunities. Early experiences focus on foundational gardening skills and observation, while older students take on advanced design challenges, data collection, environmental analysis, and scientific inquiry. Each stage builds on the last, reinforcing skills and knowledge over time.
Learning That Extends Beyond the Classroom
The Learning Garden encourages students to apply responsibility, follow-through, and reflection in real-world contexts. Caring for shared spaces, managing long-term projects, and observing the impact of their decisions help students develop perseverance, collaboration, and a sense of ownership over their learning.
Looking ahead, plans for the Learning Garden include expanding community involvement through family workdays, student-led farmers markets, and service-learning projects that connect classroom learning to the wider community. These experiences will deepen students鈥� understanding of civic responsibility while strengthening ties between the school and its community.
By grounding learning in nature and authentic experience, the Learning Garden cultivates curiosity, creativity, and confidence鈥攈elping students grow not only as learners, but as thoughtful stewards of their environment.
Above: Students in PreK through 5th grade plant seeds for the garden鈥攕uch as zucchini, tomatoes, and pumpkins鈥攚ith Kelley Jefferson (center), our registrar, who is also earning her certification as a master gardener and will be teaching our horticulture classes.
