Garden Project AAS

The Anglo-American School of Sofia has made a commitment to sustainability. The building and grounds are a model for green technology and living. The landscaping uses native plants accustomed to Bulgaria's climate, and rainwater is collected and reused. The next step was to involve students in this commitment and allow sustainability to become apart of their learning.

Composting: A group of high school students took on the initial organization of this projects. A structure was constructed on the grounds. High school and middle school students made posters and gave assemblies to educate the rest of the student body. Elementary classes collected the bins of organic waste and took turns mixing the waste in preparation for compost.
Plans were made to purchase chickens and a hen house was constructed on site. The eventual goal was to enrich the compost with chicken manure.

Planting Beds: The beds were constructed and some dirt delivered. A consultant was hired to advise on plant choices.  This was important for learning as many projects of this sort are started without proper knowledge, and they fail.  The school wanted plants that could be harvested in either early June, before school let out, or in the fall term. And the plants had to be adaptive to the school environment. A garden club worked throughout the year on this, and other students volunteered service hours to help mix and move soil. Elementary classes planted seeds as well as assisting with weeding and watering. There are plans for an outdoor classroom on site so classes can continue to learn as they gather produce and seeds in the fall term.

Providing Interest and Buy-in: It was important that students felt like it was their garden and had a part in the process. One piece of this included allowing the elementary classes to name a chicken when they arrived, and collect the eggs on a regular basis.
Another suggestion was to have different classes be responsible for certain plantings and their care. This was less effective, as plants, especially in their early stage, need constant and regular care. The school schedule and calendar made this difficult. Teachers ended up responding to garden needs as they saw them, and volunteers stepped up when a need in the garden was made known.