Piloting a community co-learning approach to developing a school-based food gardening program

Research suggests children learn vital capabilities from school-based food gardening through engaging in a range of positive human and non-human relationships. Garden interactions support children to navigate pressing vulnerabilities, some related to personal and social circumstances, others to planetary crisis, climate change, and food system decline. Yet across the ACT we see underutilised school gardens and we hear of teachers feeling time poor and ill-equipped to meaningfully incorporate gardening into programs.

Inspired by the ACT Future of Education Strategy’s Stronger Communities for Learning priority, this study combines community partnering, inquiry learning, and multidisciplinary methods to investigate a community co-learning approach to developing a food gardening program, and to test tools for evaluating the program’s impact on children’s personal and social capabilities. The key partner in this study is the socio-culturally diverse community of Isabella Plains Early Childhood School (IPECS). Adaptable, scalable learnings for ACT Education will be identified during the study.

The overarching aim of this project is to investigate a community co-learning approach to developing a food gardening program at Isabella Plains Early Childhood School for preschool to year 2 children, and to test tools for evaluating positive impacts of the program. Specific aims are to:

1. Observe and capture base-line data on food garden-based relationships and activities to inform project design (Phase 1)
2. Imagine, co-design and pilot a multidisciplinary, community co-learning approach to developing a food garden program integrated into IPECS curriculum (Phase 2 & 3)
3. Investigate and test tools to evaluate the program’s impact on students (Phase 2 & 3)
4. Observe, identify and document adaptable, scalable key learnings for other ACT contexts (Phase 3)

A diagrammatic representation of the project phases and contributors

Community partnering using asset-based, appreciative inquiry learning
Multidisciplinary learning
Child’s play version of novel ecologies
Learning skills and knowledge from diverse socio-cultural real-world examples and through meaningful connection to community efforts beyond the school gate

Observations
Interviews
Art making
Cooking and recipe book
Workshops

Phase 1 OBSERVE, focuses on gathering baseline data and understanding of ‘Where are we now?’  What current assets, strengths, and relationships already exist within the IPECS-based food gardening community? In this phase the research team will observe and document food gardening and garden play at IPECS over a ten-week period, using tools like electronic notes, sketches, photos, and videos. Interviews will also be conducted with the IPECS community and school staff to gain insights into the existing ‘Growing with Grands’ gardening program.

Phase 2 IMAGINE and CO-DESIGN builds on Phase 1 by involving stakeholders like students, teachers, parents, and the Isabella Gardens Retirement Village. A co-design event called 'Imagining Our Food Garden' will be held, where community members participate in activities like food mapping, drawing, painting, and envisioning the future of the food garden. A planning day will kickstart the pilot gardening program, incorporating elements from Phase 1 and 2.

Phase 3 PILOT and cycling back to OBSERVE focuses on implementing the pilot program over two terms in 2024, using data collected from Phases 1 and 2. The program includes activities like worm farming, composting, exploring food plants, and following the journey of food from garden to plate. Family feedback and stories from culturally diverse families will be collected to foster community and inclusion. A community engagement event called 'Growing Our Food Garden' will involve UC international students and UC Future of Food, promoting cultural understanding and sharing diverse food stories.

Outcomes are aligned with ACT Education and Training’s Future of Education Strategy priority Strong Communities for Learning and include:

Strengthen partnerships with IPECS communities, including migrant families and elderly residents, to effectively address the needs of early years students.

Champion models of intergenerational and culturally diverse community collaboration through food gardening, thereby enhancing students' personal and social skills, while fostering their confidence to collaboratively tackle personal, social, community and global challenges such as climate change.

Advocate for effective models of community co-learning that facilitate the integration of real-life experiences into the classroom and extend learning to the broader community, encompassing the ACT Education and Training Directorate and other ACT schools.

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