Service Learning with GLOBE NY Metro and the Wallerstein Collaborative for Urban Env. Education
Planting Milkweed for Monarchs
Service Learning with GLOBE NY Metro
The Metropolitan Monarch Alliance works in partnership with GLOBE NY Metro and the Wallerstein Collaborative for Urban Environmental Education to promote service-learning in schools around NYC. The cornerstone of these two organizations are teacher professional development programs that enhance environmental literacy and hands-on, inquiry-based, project focused pedagogy to supervise place-based student learning activities, research, and service-learning in their schools and communities.
For more information about different teacher programs and service learning, see GLOBE NY Metro’s website and the Wallerstein Collaborative for Urban Environmental Education’s website.
A Garden Grows in Brooklyn – From Recycled Soda Bottles
Cassandra Laugen’s 4th Grade Class Project
Ms. Cassandra Laugen did not have to look far to find a great service learning project for her students. Her school, P.S. 205 in Bayside Queens, already had a school courtyard with an over-grown garden and greenhouse, although it had fallen into disrepair. Ms. Laugen set out to develop the greenhouse, or “high tunnel,” into a productive garden complete with compost bins. Upon request, educators from NYU’s Wallerstein Collaborative for Urban Environmental Education met with Ms. Laugen to layout a garden plan and to work with her students to begin planting.
It was a warm April day when NYU staff and Ms. Laugen’s 4th graders ventured out of the classroom and into the garden. The first step required weeding, cleaning, and preparing the garden beds which were out of order. Students worked in groups on the different planting beds. They learned about invasive plants and aromatic plants as they pulled them out. Each group of students added fresh soil and planted tomatoes, basil, peas, and more. Ms. Laugen and parents helped maintain the garden over summer. As a result, there was an excellent harvest of free, healthy, tomatoes, peas, and herbs for the school community.
A follow-up garden day was held the following October to plant winter crops as an experiment to determine whether the high tunnel could support a winter growing season. Students investigated the difference in air temperature inside and outside the high tunnel and found no difference. Students investigated the growing requirements of various crops and chose to plant radishes, turnips, carrots, beans, and parsley. Compost from the previous spring, made from the cafeteria’s organic waste, was mixed into the garden beds to fertilize the crops. Gardens require constant maintenance throughout the year. To do this, Ms. Laugen receives support from parents, the administration, and custodial staff. The grown-over courtyard and high tunnel at PS 205 is growing once again. Ms. Laugen’s gardening has already paid multiple dividends—in learning and fresh local produce!