For special needs students in the RISE program at William James Middle School in Fort Worth, the Life Lab Learning Garden is a place to grow. Not just the potatoes, carrots, and cilantro teeming from the raised garden beds situated in a school courtyard, but also the sort of personal growth that comes from learning how to bring that food to life.
Students in RISE, which stands for Reaching Independence through Structured Education, are the primary caretakers of their school’s first learning garden, established last year with funding and support from Texas Health Resources and Atmos Energy. April Barnett, a RISE teacher at William James, said the garden is used in classroom curriculum throughout the school and provides her students with vocational training for possible jobs in landscaping, farming and plant nursery work.
William James is just one of more than 40 area schools across five North Texas school districts to receive support for a learning garden from Texas Health. Learning gardens are plots of land on school campuses—or in the case of William James, raised garden beds—that are developed and maintained so students can benefit from the joys and skills that gardening provides. Lessons are structured to help young people learn the importance of soil conditioning, proper seeding and optimal watering, and other lessons.
Support for learning gardens is part of Texas Health’s commitment to enhance the well-being of all residents in the North Texas communities it serves, through a holistic approach to combatting food and nutrition insecurity.
Texas Health began supporting school learning gardens in 2017 as a way to teach children about the benefits of growing and eating fresh fruits and vegetables. Assistance includes finding grant funding to pay for supplies to start and maintain a garden; supporting full-time school garden educators who assist with garden planning, developing curriculum and lesson planning to help educators take advantage of the gardens as a learning tool; and engaging students, families and community members in maintaining the gardens to ensure sustainability. Community and corporate partners—like Atmos Energy—also help through funding, volunteering for garden builds and maintenance, and donating other resources such as seeds, plants, garden supplies, beds, books, and soil.
“Research shows participating in a learning garden can enhance academic performance, promote physical and emotional well-being, and foster a deeper connection to the environment,” said Matt Dufrene, vice president of Texas Health Resources. “Students who engage in school gardening and outdoor learning tend to perform better academically and develop problem-solving, teamwork, and time management skills. School gardens also encourage students to eat more fruits and vegetables and get active, and are linked to happier moods, lower rates of obesity, and healthier habits lasting into adulthood.”
Learning Gardens can also become focal points that nurture connections and involvement among families and neighbors as communities work together to help their school gardens grow. At Bonnie Brae Elementary School in Fort Worth, for example, members of the PTA and All Pro Dads groups regularly volunteer to help their school garden thrive. “Our community garden has given us an opportunity for students to connect their learning in a natural and multidimensional way,” said Naomi Salas, principal of Bonnie Brae Elementary. “Students learn about factors like the seasons, weather, and the growth cycle of seeds and plants from their class lessons and then see the process in real time as they harvest produce and seeds from our garden. This year we have also had the opportunity to share produce at family events and have classes prepare snacks in their classrooms.”
At William James, teachers sign up to take their students to the garden to illustrate lessons in science, health and other subjects. And while the school’s learning garden sprouts new fruits and vegetables, Barnett said students also thrive and grow. “The outdoor garden has blossomed into this beautiful thing, not just for my students, but for the whole school,” Barnett said. “Our students are proud of what they’ve done here, and they take a lot of ownership of what they’ve planted and are growing. It gives them a sense of pride, and that’s good for their emotional well-being and self-confidence.”
Earlier this spring, William James students applied for and received a $5,000 Wellness Innovation Grant from Texas Health, underwritten by the R4 Foundation. The grant will allow the school to add hydroponic and aquaponic elements, as well as indoor growing options so students can enjoy gardening all year, regardless of the weather.
While RISE and other area students dig and plant and weed and watch their gardens grow, they are also experiencing the joy that comes from growing their own food and the value of eating well and living an active life. And that is how a garden grows a stronger, healthier community.