Page 20 RAIN January/February 1985 FROM: The Youth Gardening Book-see page 22 by D.ebbie Habib and Kim Knorr And in distant times children will read in their history books how in the twentieth century many thought the world would be destroyed by war or hate or misdirected science. But everyone started gardening. They relearned some old lessons. Pete Seeger Whether in the classroom or at the New Alchemy farm, we approach education with the belief that we need to teach children a sense of individual responsibility, environmental awareness, and practical living skills. As educators working with children in non-traditional learning environments, we have found that our programs and workshops are creating new avenues through which we are reaching our community. For many of us, children spark the hope for a better future. Their simplicity, curiosity, wonder and desire to explore the world reminds us of the qualities we often lose touch with in our daily lives. We find children to be a receptive audience to the often alternative concepts and ways of relating with the earth that we expose them to in our educational programs. In turn, children become the gentle but effective vehicle for spreading concepts such as organic gardening and farming, solar greenhouses for year-round food production, appropriate technologies in providing for our energy and shelter needs, conservation of our natural resources, and finally respect for an understanding of the interconnectedness of all living things. Children can remind the adults, who Teaching Children, Reaching the Community have more ability to create change, that there exist ecologically sound options that they can incorporate into their lives. Our approach to education is a hands-on philosophy. We begin by creating an environment in which a child can explore, discover, and become a part of the process of unfolding and connecting their living world. One of our favorate approaches to facilitate understanding of nature's cycles begins in our nearby forest. Often the question is asked: What happens to a leaf when it falls to the ground? Through a series of observation and sensory activities, children discover that with the help of sun, wind, rain, and time, leaves break down and help make soil and food for next year's growth. We can translate this cycle into the garden, where there are no trees, hence no leaves to help build the soil. We dig in our leaf mold pile, fill our wheelbarrows, spread the leaves on our gardens, and recreate our own rendition of the cycle we uncovered in the forest. By helping children become a part of nature's cycles, they can ask questions and draw conclusions that can be incorporated into their world view in a unique and lasting way. Learning and deep understanding does not always follow any particular path or pattern and we encourage the belief that all of our thoughts and ideas are valid and important. We find our experiential, hands-on approach to be effective and rewarding. The children are excited about discovering and learning. The feedback we receive from their parents tells us they are taking it home.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc4NTAz