A Spotlight on Green Industries at KCI

Written by: Maya Paddon

KCI offers numerous electives for students to select from as they prepare for their upcoming school years. One of which is the Green Industries course, available to take in grade ten, eleven and twelve. 

Although the course is not mandatory, Green Industries teacher Ms. Hill Wood, as well as a handful of her grade ten students, all concur that it is a course that could benefit and educate everyone. 

Read more to learn about the activities done in the Green Industries classes, some of their initiatives, as well as how they continue to impact KCI on an environmental level. 

How does Green Industries work?

Ms. Hill Wood noted that Green Industries is an “umbrella term” for a course that covers five separate strands. These include horticulture, floristry, forestry, landscaping and agriculture. 

Ms. Hill Wood explained, “The Green Industries courses look at these strands, and apply them in a way that is good for people, the planet and all of its inhabitants.” 

When asked about some of the activities done in Green Industries, grade ten student Natalie Faulkner described some stand-out tasks: “We have done a lot of floral arrangements and researched pollinators, as well as observing plant growth,” she stated. 

Another grade ten Green Industries student, Maiya Flatt, expanded on some additional in-class activities, saying, “In Green Industries we do everything from recycling to planting seeds! We learn so much about how we can help take care of our environment.”

Despite the class consisting of several tasks and opportunities each day, Ms. Hill Wood noted the course is frequently altered to remain relevant: “It’s always a little bit different every year, and that is because the climate and different needs are always evolving.” 

The student perspective on the Green Industries course

When discussing her favourite aspect of the class, grade ten student Danika Harvey brought up the close community that the class was able to form early on in the semester: “I would definitely say the community and how well we all get along,” Danika said. She added on by explaining the significance in conversing with fellow classmates: “We have group conversations a lot and those conversations are a place where we can talk about what’s going on in the world and what smaller solutions we can do to try and fix a huge problem,” Danika noted. 

Natalie and Maiya, on the other hand, say they prefer more hands-on work: “I like working with plants. We do a lot of prep work and writing, but anytime I get to be in the greenhouse or working with soil, that is the best part,” Natalie stated. Maiya added, “My favourite part of the class is when we get to go into the greenhouse and water the plants, or just check on the seeds that we have planted.”

How does Green Industries help KCI environment-wise?

Ms. Hill Wood enthusiastically communicated how several projects arranged and fulfilled by her students work to improve the health and conditions of the local KCI environment. 

She revealed that currently, the primary goal for her Green Industries classes is starting up the community garden. She credited her grade eleven class for their hard work on getting the garden up and running, saying, “The grade 11s have been involved in planning, garden-mapping and scheduling. They’re the ones who have been spearheading that.” 

Danika also pointed out some initiatives the Green Industries classes have been working on throughout the semester: “We do a lot of work in the greenhouse, and we also try and make KCI a more environmentally friendly environment through posters, picking up garbage, etc.,” she noted, adding, “I think Green Industries helps the school because we learn a lot about how to make the world a better place and we always try and share that with the rest of the school. We generally try to include other classes and encourage them to make positive small actions!”

Additionally, Danika, Natalie and Maiya all highlighted the work Green Industries has done with the recycling program at KCI, where they collect all recycled products on Monday mornings. 

The future of Green Industries

In terms of next steps for the course, Ms. Hill Wood revealed that she not only hopes to continue taking action and improving the KCI environment, but would also like to expand opportunities for her students outside of school: “What I would like to do in the future is more field trips. That would be a wonderful next step for Green Industries!” she noted excitedly.  

Ultimately, Ms. Hill Wood encourages everyone to take Green Industries, as the course “can really help” students understand their surroundings and the significance of each aspect of nature: “At the end of the day, the hope is that this course can make you more aware of nature and what’s in it,” Ms. Hill Wood concluded.