Ms. Bush is a high school teacher from California. "I love service learning and engaging all aspects of a child in their learning," she said. "I believe giving leadership opportunities to all kids can bring out hidden elements of personality and connection to earth and peers that might not have taken place otherwise. I am inspired daily by what I see in my students and it strengthens my belief in the good of society.”
Students completed the service-learning project The Urban Garden in a Food Desert. They discussed issues of food scarcity, food deserts, and the history of their community. They used the Philanthropy, Volunteering and Service: The Historical Connections Hunger Hurts Learning to Give unit for support.
For their project, students constructed and successfully planted an urban garden in front of their classroom. They researched and cultivated season-appropriate vegetables and plants that could help their community; a place that is in desperate need of fresh food options. Students shared this knowledge with others on campus and with their families.
Ms. Bush and her students received a mini-grant and funds were used to purchase a raised garden bed, dirt, seeds, and garden supplies.
Growing food through their project impacted the students and helped them gain a connection to food that they never had before. According to Ms. Bush, students were “more aware of food being thrown away, the possibilities of food, and how they can actively be a part of the solution, not the problem.”