more info on env. high school

[Guest guest]

I'm glad so many people are interested in hearing about Common Ground.

Common Ground is located in New Haven, CT, which is a medium city. We have

a site within a state park, and incorporate the following farm implements

into our curriculum. We enjoy a organic garden of about an acre, which most

staff help cultivate, along with harvest class, site class, egg and seed

class, and the after-school youth crew, a group of students who are payed to

do work on the farm. We also have pigs, goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, a

rabbit, and our cat. The gardens produces about 500lbs of produce during high

harvest time. The

youth crew, along with myself and the garden manager Steph, go to markets to

sell our produce and tell people who we are, what our mission is.

Pertaining to the kids, they are mostly inner-city, low-income teens,

although anyone can attend. We have 150 kids, and the staff numbers 18.

How much does it cost to feed our kids? 1.88 compared to the average 5.68 I

believe for public schools. we get any outside products (pastas,

juice, dairy) from the food bank, either for free or about 10 cents a lb for

produce.

We are classified as a target school for the no child left behind act. we

have 9th graders coming in with 4th grade reading levels, but are only two

years away from being taken over by the government. I worry about it all

the time.

 

This is, certainly, a dream job for me.

 

(just a little about me) I am 21, studying sustainable agriculture -

planning to return to school in the spring at colorado state after a year

hiatus in order to earn some cash. I live in the dirt, and my goal is to

become a teacher, to initiate school gardens in communities, and to create

curriculum for schools that involve fresh food and nutrition and dirt into

their classes. The Center for Ecoliteracy is the highest program I can

think of for establishing these gardens and curriculum I speak of.

 

Any other questions, feel free.

[Guest guest]

That is the coolest program I have heard of in a long time. How can

I start something like that here in my town? What land are you

using? Any ideas of how I might get started to do a similar project

here? How receptive are these kids in general? What is the primary

funding to feed the live stock and how many of each do you have? Is

4H involved in showing the animals? Who is the primary care thru out

the year? Is your staff volunteer only? I used to have family in New

Haven...I never realized the school system was like this or that

there was poverty there...probably because I was just a kid.

, " Saralynn Tauras-Craig "

<saralynn77 wrote:

>

> I'm glad so many people are interested in hearing about Common

Ground.

> Common Ground is located in New Haven, CT, which is a medium

city. We have

> a site within a state park, and incorporate the following farm

implements

> into our curriculum. We enjoy a organic garden of about an acre,

which most

> staff help cultivate, along with harvest class, site class, egg

and seed

> class, and the after-school youth crew, a group of students who

are payed to

> do work on the farm. We also have pigs, goats, sheep, chickens,

ducks, a

> rabbit, and our cat. The gardens produces about 500lbs of produce

during high harvest time. The

> youth crew, along with myself and the garden manager Steph, go to

markets to

> sell our produce and tell people who we are, what our mission is.

> Pertaining to the kids, they are mostly inner-city, low-income

teens,

> although anyone can attend. We have 150 kids, and the staff

numbers 18.

> How much does it cost to feed our kids? 1.88 compared to the

average 5.68 I

> believe for public schools. we get any outside products (pastas,

> juice, dairy) from the food bank, either for free or about 10

cents a lb for

> produce.

> We are classified as a target school for the no child left behind

act. we

> have 9th graders coming in with 4th grade reading levels, but are

only two

> years away from being taken over by the government. I worry about

it all

> the time.

>

> This is, certainly, a dream job for me.

>

> (just a little about me) I am 21, studying sustainable

agriculture -

> planning to return to school in the spring at colorado state after

a year

> hiatus in order to earn some cash. I live in the dirt, and my

goal is to

> become a teacher, to initiate school gardens in communities, and

to create

> curriculum for schools that involve fresh food and nutrition and

dirt into

> their classes. The Center for Ecoliteracy is the highest program

I can

> think of for establishing these gardens and curriculum I speak of.

>

> Any other questions, feel free.

>