How are schools involved?
Eastern Park Community Garden is a great learning venue providing schools access to a relevent and stimulating setting and flexible learnng opportunities. Community gardens offer almost never-ending opportunities for learning across a wide range of areas and for putting knowledge and skills into practice. This makes them great ‘outdoor classroom’ venues for schools to access knowledge and training opportunities and provide hands –on activities that address literacy, numeracy and access issues in creative and effective ways outside a classroom setting. Topics cavered can be linked to science, math, social studies and environment curriculum areas.
The Growing Together Baw Baw network is an opportunity for schools to share experiences, resources and skills. One goal of the group is to see an active garden embedded into every school’s curriculum bringing with it active parent and community participation
A key focus of the network is therefore to support schools to establish edible gardens whilst acting as a liaison between participating schools and a resource base both of information and skills.
School gardens are an evidenced based strategy that keeps students engaged in their learning as well as increasing parent participation. They also provide opportunities for physical activity and social inclusion.
Schools can become active members of the Community Garden, either by attending activities provided to the community or engaging in school based activities/workshops held at the garden.
Schools also have an opprotunity to rent a garden plot within Eastern Park Community Gradens "community group garden area". The E-newsletter is sent to all participating schools and a library of resources is available for loan.