My Vision
My vision is to see Wellness by Gale doing all it can to create a future in which school gardens coupled with diverse activities helps children become healthy adults who eat their fruits and vegetables, know the basics of growing food, and contribute to a thriving community. That type of education that introduces students to the fundamentals of gardening while naturally conveying lessons in science, math, and cultural history, as well as building self-esteem and a sense of accomplishment.
From the bulk of experience I have gathered, I understand the benefits of Garden Based Learning which include but are not limited to:
- Teaching in a real life setting: In math, there are hands-on
opportunities to use measurement, value, precision. Students face the consequences of not being precise, and the importance of checking each other’s work. Activities include measuring in three dimensions, area, volume, perimeter, and following the directions using word problems and complex problem solving. - Learning across grades: Older children can create a garden as a math lesson. Younger children can use the garden for a content project like planting a rainbow or small pumpkins. My core mission is to create and sustain an organic garden that will serve as an outdoor classroom for our students.
- Linking lessons to existing curricula: Colonial herb garden, and a butterfly lifecycle garden, health and safety lessons using the senses of vision, smell and taste to determine safe plants to eat, language arts exercise in using precise language to describe a complex problem, hands-on learning that brings in parents and members of the community together.
- Outdoor learning for children keeps them healthy: Solving problems in real life settings, using their hands and simple tools, and potentially having food or herbs to harvest or share are all healthful activities that spontaneously develop how they solve and reacts to problems.
I believe that nothing is impossible and even in the middle of fear, if we are able to garner the needed courage, no mountain is too high for us to climb. I have been climbing this mountain and I urge everyone out there to do all they can to ensure that we have a society that is well nourished, well articulated, and well educated in all ramifications. These have been my sleeping and waking thoughts, my vision and my goal.
If we do not educate the kids well, if we do not break the status quo and create a better world, if we do not raise the limits and build a better tomorrow for these children, then we have failed them.
Our core purpose in life is to give to mankind without counting the cost, to serve without heeding the wounds, to always be there without taking a break. Join me and see us leave an indelible mark upon the earth.
