The RSU 71 Elementary Garden program was inspired by the long-standing middle school garden program at Troy Howard Middle School which has been an impactful presence in the district for over 25 years. The district is home to five elementary schools–Ames, Captain Albert Stevens (CASS), East Belfast, Kermit Nickerson, and Gladys Weymouth–each with its own history of teachers and staff committed to garden-based and outdoor learning. CASS and East Belfast have historically tended raised beds which served as learning opportunities for students, while Ames was home to a small-scale pollinator garden. East Belfast also constructed a potting shed and Captain Albert Stevens School, driven by the energy and vision of Title I teacher Lisa Brita, developed a well-loved Literacy Garden.
In 2019, encouraged by administrator Glen Widmer, FoodCorps was invited into the district to support the expansion of garden programming at the elementary level. With ongoing support from FoodCorps, many generous grants, and the strong support of community businesses and organizations (including the Belfast Garden Club), the elementary gardens have grown and programming has prospered. Throughout the years, Maine Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC) has been and continues to be a significant supporter in the form of numerous grants, classroom resources and on-going curriculum support.
The school board approved a full-time garden coordinator position in 2023/2024! This year the coordinator primarily serves at CASS while supporting FoodCorps service members in the outlying elementary schools. The eventual goal, as FoodCorps graduates from the district, is to create a model that provides adequate resources and support to teachers at all five elementary schools and builds their capacity for teaching outdoors.
Here’s what’s happening at the individual schools:
Ames Elementary, through the hard work and dedication of FoodCorps service member Ellie Bridgers, has secured a generous grant from the Maine Environmental Education Association to construct a hoop house this spring. In addition, local donations have provided the support needed to build new raised beds plus a grant from KidsGardening has gifted the school with an array of helpful supplies and equipment. ReTree US has also supported the school in establishing a small-scale apple and pear orchard in Fall 2023.
Captain Albert Stevens Elementary (CASS) has a large learning garden, dedicated raised beds for all K-2 classrooms and a hoop house constructed by the district’s earliest FoodCorps service member, Malia Demers, with generous grant funds. Early on, ReTreeUS supported the school in establishing the first elementary orchard in the district. CASS is also honored to house two accessible elevated raised beds constructed by students from the Waldo County Technical Center.
East Belfast and Nickerson Elementaries were both gifted small-scale apple and pear orchards by the Belfast Garden Club last year. Additionally, a grant from the Maine Environmental Education Association funded the construction of a hoop house at Nickerson. Total growing space was expanded in both gardens last year, teaching students the effectiveness of no-till “lasagna” layering techniques and the recycling of organic matter to feed the soil. Each school benefitted from the construction of new 3-bin compost systems with funding secured via a SeedMoney campaign titled “Composting with Kids”. This year FoodCorps service member Lauren Gjessing organized school-wide participation in the MAITC Read ME Agrculture program–taking part in reading The Wakame Gatherers and taste testing seaweed smoothies. At Nickerson, a monthly newsletter was started through a collaboration with SNAP-Ed to have a place to showcase garden and nutrition-related student work.
Here are a few examples of lessons and garden programs:
Resources for Classroom Projects or Garden Experiences (Independent; All Grades)
- Dedicated raised bed
- Seeds & seedlings
- Naturalist studies materials
- Indoor grow kits
- Scavenger hunts
Keystone Experiences (Supported Enrichment; by Season; All grades)
- Apple Exploration (Fall)
- Maple Fest (Winter)
- Celebration of Interconnection (Spring)
NGSS-Aligned Garden Lessons (Guided; by Trimester by Grade Level)
- T1: weekly classes with 4th & 5th graders
- T2: weekly or 6-8 week series of classes with 2nd & 3rd graders
- T3: weekly or bi-weekly classes with Kindergarten & 1st graders
Want to know more?!
- Contact Nicole Caruso, Elementary Garden Coordinator, at ncaruso@rsu71.org
- Maine FoodCorps
- Garden Club Federation of Maine: Belfast Garden Club
- Kids Gardening
- Maine Agriculture in the Classroom
- READ ME Agriculture
- Maine Environmental Education Association
- ReTreeUS
- Seed Money
- Waldo County Technical Center