SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — This is prime time for many folks to do some gardening and plenty of public schools like Sonoran Sky in the Valley are helping our kids develop a green thumb this season.
They're digging into the subject of agriculture. The students are getting in on the latest lesson this March with garden classes just like they do for P.E., art music and computers.
Amber Behrens is the school's garden chair and she said the program is unmatched.
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"The wonderland garden is really a point of pride but the beautiful outdoor garden speaks for itself," Behrens said.
The outdoor classroom space has been in the works for than a decade.
The kids learn to design garden beds with active water systems to teach them about sustainability. Not to mention creating a desert garden bed allows the kids to showcase Arizona's thriving plants.
"There’s no electronics, just your senses in touch with nature," said Behrens.
The space also includes an amphitheater and pond to help make well-rounded lesson plans that students can carry throughout their lives, master gardener, Michelle Carroll, said.
"It's a great way to integrate STEM in this outdoor space and the students really seem to love it and it's a community effort," Carroll explained.
Over the years the school has partnered with Summer Winds Nursery to get enough supplies and materials for the student's continued success with the class. Plus, the Blue Watermelon Project is a grant program that provides material for cooking classes for the kids.
“We hope to continue seeing this space grow and hope other schools see the benefits of adding this element of teaching,” Carroll said.
This extracurricular activity benefits the students by getting them outdoors and socializing while building something beautiful they can all enjoy.
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