PBL 1:  Design & Build a Sensory Garden 

PBL 1:  Design & Build a Sensory Garden

This year, we're inviting 13–15-year-old students to embark on an exciting Project-Based Learning (PBL) adventure: designing, building, and maintaining a sensory-rich garden right here at Gilfillan Farm—specifically created to support peers with sensory differences, such as those on the autism spectrum, with ADHD, or sensory processing challenges.

In this hands-on project, students will:

• Research and interview peers to deeply understand sensory needs (like preferences for certain textures, scents, sounds, or calming elements).

• Apply real gardening principles—soil health, plant selection, propagation, and sustainable care—to grow a thriving, low-maintenance space.

• Design thoughtful features that engage the senses safely and joyfully: soft textured paths, fragrant herbs and flowers, gentle water sounds, rustling grasses, colorful blooms, and quiet zones for relaxation.

• Promote biodiversity with native plants that attract pollinators and support local wildlife.

• Collaborate as a team to solve real challenges like budgeting, site limitations, safety, and ongoing maintenance.

The result? A beautiful, functional garden that becomes a therapeutic oasis—helping reduce stress, improve focus, encourage exploration, build social connections, and boost overall well-being for students of all abilities. Research shows sensory gardens can significantly support neurodivergent children by providing calming, regulated sensory input in a natural setting.

Your child will gain lifelong skills in empathy, environmental stewardship, problem-solving, teamwork, and creative design—all while making a meaningful, lasting difference for their peers.