Young Leaders' Commitment to Learning in the Garden
If there’s one thing I am certain about our youth this summer, it is that they are resilient. Even with the endless days of heat one week to miles of rain the next, our young leaders are still showing up full of ideas and questions. What I saw when I visited the Russell Summer Program on the cloudiest, darkest day of the week was a classroom full of warmth. The students were already greeting each other and inviting everyone into a game of Uno, and each one offered me a masked smile (you could see it in their eyes!). It was outstanding how a group of young people were acting like the closest friends after just a week of programming, and how lively the entire team felt.
And when Gardener Sydney had to announce their field trip was cancelled for the day, not a single light was dimmed. These youth are smart, adaptable, and willing to do whatever the day calls for. Today, Sydney suggested, called for fertilizing the soil. The Russell students had conducted similar experiments as the Haggerty students (read out last blog post here) and had seen their soil lacking some key nutrients. So they gloved up, grabbed a watering can, and took the lead in caring for their garden. Even on week 2, anyone could see this youth were quick learners and already able to take full responsibility for the garden. They studied the fertilizer bottle, drew conclusions about how it would change the nutrient levels, and divided up the task of dispersing it. After many giggles about the smell of the fertilizer had passed, the young leaders took a look at their garden and deemed it well-cared for.
But their time in the garden was not over yet. Gardener Sydney was determined to keep the day fun and informative, just as their field trip should have been. The youth were given a scavenger hunt bingo board, in which boxes could not be marked off until the youth were able to identify a garden phenomenon. It did not take long for the questions, discussions, and discoveries to start rolling in. Kids were experimenting with the new science language they had been learning -- compost, decomposing, acidic soil -- and using each other’s knowledge to further understand those words, what they looked like in the garden, and how to identify them. It was a community-based learning experience disguised as a competitive garden game, and it was absolutely brilliant.
The afternoon was a more creative time, with activities ranging from garden sign decoration to personal journaling moments. Youth really enjoyed this more artistic side of garden work, finding joy in making their space more beautiful. While a seemingly simple task, the activity gave the students meaningful experience with leaving evidence of their work at Russell. In the weeks to come, youth will continue to see the effects they can have through urban gardening, both big and small. At the end of the day, Gardener Sydney, the youth, the two summer fellows DJ and Erica, and I sat down for some reflection on the garden. I was able to connect with two students about their favorite parts of CitySprouts so far. “I like taking home food to my mom and being able to cook with her,” answered Nellie. Breane, a younger student, told me she had never seen things growing like this before. “Like that blueberry bush,” she explained. “It’s my favorite part of the garden”. There, on a busy street in the middle of Boston, youth were sharing their lessons of nature, science, and the outdoors, all thanks to a simple schoolyard garden.
