The Agriculture Program at Barrowtown Elementary in Abbotsford, BC, is flourishing, thanks to the President’s Choice Children’s Charity’s Power Full Kids | Grow & Cook program. The program aims to help educators incorporate food-based education into their lesson plans by providing students with tools and classroom resources.
Barrowtown Elementary has enhanced learning opportunities for students both indoors and outdoors. Three indoor garden towers have allowed students to plant seeds and regularly harvest lettuce. Seven chicks hatched in the classroom and are now thriving in their pen, providing eggs for the school. The outdoor garden space has expanded significantly, thanks to new garden boxes. Students have actively participated in planting and even sold some of the plants in a Spring plant sale!
In the words of Malcolm, a second-grader, "I am so lucky to go to a school where I get to spend the day in the garden; we never did this in my old school!"
Taylor, a fifth-grader, emphasized the importance of learning how to grow food: "My favorite part is all of it. It's my favorite part because I'm glad that our school is different from most schools; most schools don't have this. I think it's important to learn agricultural stuff because when we're older, we should know how to do this kind of thing."
The heart of the program is the students, who have actively engaged at every stage of these exciting projects. They've been enthusiastic participants in various agriculture-based field trips, with more experiences planned for the future.
As Rachel Slomp, Chairperson of Barrowtown’s Agricultural Committee and President of their Parent Advisory Council, reflects on the accomplishments of the past year, gratitude overflows for the unwavering support from the community and President’s Choice Children’s Charity. “We are truly grateful to be part of such a supportive community,” she notes. “Our students will take these experiences and continue to grow from them year after year.”
Barrowtown Elementary School's Agriculture Program not only fosters a love for agriculture but also imparts valuable life lessons and skills to its students. With ongoing community support and participation in President’s Choice Children’s Charity’s signature Power Full Kids programs, the program is poised to thrive and inspire for years to come.
To learn more about the Power Full Kids | Grow and Cook program, visit https://www.pcchildrenscharity.ca/power-full-kids-at-school/
