the sae garden project

sae garden begins

In 2019, AHS Teachers, Students, and NOCROP Instructors, along with the help of Cal State Fullerton, and Anaheim HS staff, banded together to organize, plan, and execute the installation of a multiple raised bed garden on campus. The idea behind this garden was to educate and guide young people into raising a garden from start to finish. Students were given raw materials, tools, and safety equipment needed to build the beds, transport the soil, and plant the garden.

The students would first break off into teams and meet with teachers to discuss and plan each step of the way towards the final garden. Topics that were taught included irrigation systems, construction and building, and gardening basics. This SAE or Supervised Agricultural Experience was met with enthusiasm, determination, and lots of fun learning.

When proper planning and organization is put to good use, our students proved that anything is possible. As we move forward in our lives, we hope that future generations of AHS students, staff, and teachers alike can continue to help this garden flourish. When we teach young people of the possibility of building a brighter future, and help to guide them, things can happen.

SAE Garden update 20/21

In 2020 the world experienced something that none of us could have predicted: The Corona Virus. Its global affect was near catastrophic while we tried to just reach safe levels.

For an entire school year we taught from home, never stepping foot on campus once during our global pandemic. The hard work we accomplished together was now overgrown, weed-infested; things looked bleak.

It is our mission to bring the garden back to life and to teach the students about agriculture first hand. Even though the land had suffered, there is a lesson to be learned about how we need support sometimes and to be patient enough to work through any obstacle no matter the odds.

This year, 2021 is our year to heal. This is our year to bring real agricultural studies to Anaheim High School. We just got to be strong, and I know we can do it.

Here the students are getting their hands dirty and working hard to bring this garden back from the ashes. It doesn't matter where the learning takes place, as long as the students see the true lesson in whatever they are doing.

Teaching young people the importance of agriculture and of our impact on the planet is key. If we can learn to grow our own food, we can be more sustainable.

designing a better garden

The next stage in our SAE Garden Project is the design process. GrowUS is working on making our Outdoor Learning Space a reality. After a few months of the school year were out of the way, our team started planning a major construction project with the help of our BITA and Construction classes. By working with various students and teachers, we are working together to create something that will bring quality education and a sense of community to AHS.

the conceptual stage

Photographs, Conceptualization and Design

Using photographs taken onsite in the garden space, a conceptualized digital illustration shows how the garden is intended to look. Designers get a better feel of what kind of garden space they want to design by creating it first in a digital image.

Not only is the look of the garden designed, the feel of the garden is explored in conceptual imagery. The garden space is a learning environment to students alike, so an atmosphere is created to show students exploring and using the garden space.

Principles of landscape design, conceptual design, and digital software all allow the art and beauty of Anaheim High School's Learning Garden Space come to life.

before

after

creating an outdoor learning space

what is an outdoor learning environment?

The purpose of an outdoor environment is to encourage students to be active, to give them a break from being indoors, and to support learning in a variety of environments. Similar to an indoor learning environment, your outdoor space should be safe and organized and include planned activities as well as free time.

things to consider

Educators need to consider various aspects of design when developing an outdoor space to ensure it is accessible for all children. A good design will offer children choice and promote enough challenge for children to engage in considered risk-taking while balancing the need for safety.Natural play spaces offer children a unique opportunity for considered risk-taking and challenge during physical activity that they are unable to access in other ways.

Experimenting with perspective by climbing a tree or theorizing about the properties of mud fosters a sense of connection to nature. It is this connection to nature that creates opportunities for sustainability education with very young children. Permanent outdoor spaces should be flexible to enable educators to be responsive to children’s interests and development.

The use of repurposed loose parts and open-ended resources allows children to enter and participate in play at their own level and to be guided by their own ideas. The educator’s role is to then interact with children in these spaces to ‘scaffold’ play in support of exploring children’s ideas, providing provocations for learning and testing theories.

safe outdoor spaces

Continually evaluate your outdoor learning environment to ensure the equipment is safe and the environment is free from preventable risks. You must consider fall zones, surfacing, access to shade, and the conditions of materials and equipment.

Look for these items and correct them before children and youth are permitted to play:

Missing or broken parts

Protrusion of nuts and bolts

Rust and chipping or peeling paint

Sharp edges, splinters, and rough surfaces

Unstable handholds

Visible cracks

Unstable non-anchored large play equipment (e.g., playhouses, climbers)

Wear and deterioration

Broken or worn electrical fixtures or cords

Many programs utilize outdoor spaces and playgrounds that are used by the community in the evenings; perhaps your program shares a community park. Even if your playground is protected by a fence, it is still possible that hazardous materials could find their way onto the playground. Before you take children and youth outside, you must be vigilant about inspecting the outdoor space each day.

design and materials

Make the most of the space you have. Not all outdoor spaces are ideal, but that does not mean you have to settle for a playground with only metal play structures and asphalt. Get creative! Your local home improvement store can be a great resource. Utilize recycled materials. Consider filling plastic rain gutters with dirt and letting children and youth use them as planters. Ask for volunteers to install bird feeders or raised garden beds. “Offer materials and tools of the best quality you can afford, materials that let children shape their own ideas and enable them to realize their potential as image-makers and knowledge-builders,” writes early-childhood educator Ursula Kolbe in Rapunzel’s Supermarket (2015, p. 10).

accessability for all

Consider the needs of individual children. Some children and youth, especially those with special needs, may have difficulties within the outdoor environment. You can make adaptations for these children and youth just like you would in the classroom. You can adjust the materials and spaces (install a wheelchair-accessible swing, install railings, lower or raise gardening plots) to best fit their needs.

As discussed in the previous lesson, talk with children’s families and your trainer, coach, or administrator, to know what modifications may be necessary. Also, as outdoor play can be a place for “letting loose” and for children to use their louder voices, make sure you have calming spaces available outside. Calming spaces can include an accompanying bin of soothing materials.

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