Written by: Learn and Serve – Michigan Team
Grand Blanc Community Schools do a lot of partnering between schools for their service-learning projects, so it came as no surprise when the elementary school and the high school decided to partner to build a native Michigan garden.
Elementary students helped with the garden by learning each plant had a particular purpose. They talked about the garden in their history classes and discussed what plants were used for what in relation to different time periods.
The elementary school and high school students then came together for a solar picnic to celebrate the environment and to share what they had learned. They intended to cook hot dogs with a solar cooker but subsequently learned that solar cookers take a while to cook food!
The garden is an ongoing service-learning experience that can be used year after year to teach students about Michigan and the environment we live in. Asa result, students have a sense of pride and ownership. They are willing to share with the Grand Blanc school board and the local community everything they have learned in relation to working with plants and working with their peers and other students.
Going green is so important. Michigan is focused on green initiatives and green jobs. It is in the forefront of our education. Recently, the state has taken on a leadership role in the field and around the state there are more and more service-learning projects involving the environment, solar energy, and the green movement.
Service-learning is great at incorporating real-world relevance into academics. It builds relationships and takes the classroom out of the school and puts it into the community.
Hear the story of Grand Blanc Community School’s Native Garden below:
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