The objective of strengthening our communities has remained a constant from the time of the “settlement houses” of the early 20th century to today and has often revolved around individual and community sustenance related to education, environment and food. While reconnecting our youth to these time-honored practices, we are, at the same time, developing new stewards for Earth.
In taking care of Earth and understanding our innate connection to all living systems, we have the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of “well-being” while cultivating the physical and social-emotional health of our young people in the process. Students will come to see that environmental and personal wellness are interdependent.
We offer consulting and planning services to assist schools and community organizations in implementing their own school gardens. Modules may include:
- Seasonal Cycles & Garden Space
- Soil Preparation & Compost
- Seeds & Transplants
- Planting Inside & Out
- Edible Landscape & Sensory Gardens
- Vegetable Options
- Berry Bushes
- Care & Feeding
Some modules can be combined or expanded based on their interrelated components and the unique needs of each school. We also provide sourcing information to obtain needed items from organic farms and supply vendors (by way of seed saving and transplants as well as donations of bed materials and soil).
Additionally, we offer training which includes an education series: Seed Starts, Nature Communities and Compost & Worms from our “Reconnect Nature’s Child” curriculum. Additional workshop sessions can be brought to your classroom and garden to extend the learning. Hands-on instructional learning sessions related to modules above and a guided “Train the Trainer” workshop for internal school garden program sustainability are available. Training may be customized to integrate with various curriculum areas (Health, Science, Social Studies, English, Art, etc.) and experiential learning can be devised to complement current lesson plan topics. We welcome school personnel to participate in Sangha Education Center’s Nature & Wellness Connections program and be part of our collaborative community.
Christine Keller is a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) member of Restoration Farm and community partners with Long Island Traditions and other organizations who all share our vision. Sangha Education Center is involved with The Long Island Food Coalition (formerly Long Island Small Farm Initiative), a consortium of people throughout Long Island and the tri-state area with a common desire to advance efforts in preserving our local agriculture and expanding sources of locally grown food for our communities.
To schedule a consultation, please contact us.