Our third through fifth grade Independent Studies Program (ISP) students recently participated in a unique pilot curriculum called Follow Your Food. The curriculum, developed by parent volunteer, Michelle Shipton-Cook, gets children involved with growing their own food and experiencing what it’s like to enjoy it on their own plate. The idea is to engage students in the process of food production and create a connection between growing healthy food and eating healthy food.
Last fall, students were given a plot in the ASL garden where they each chose a food to plant. They watched their food grow and tended to it, then harvested it and delivered it to the kitchen for use in the Aveson lunch program. Aveson chefs demonstrated to ISP students how food is stored, cleaned and cooked. The kids and teachers enjoyed a taste test of green salad and sautéed greens following the demonstration. 
“Follow Your Food is a project that embodies Aveson’s healthy living focus and helps children develop a life-long outlook,” said Shipton-Cook. “By practicing sustainable urban agriculture in the Aveson garden, our kids learn the importance of balanced eco-systems and biodiversity in an environment that they can interact with personally, and they obtain skills to use in the world beyond their elementary school experience.”
Follow Your Food is just one of many garden projects that ASL volunteers are embarking on with our kids. Many classes participate in a gardening activities that give students the chance to develop their math and literacy skills in a project setting. Students measure plant seeds and determine when to thin seedlings, they use interactive notebooks to describe the process in a short essay and they use art to depict what they learned. Kids also use gardening lectures to practice note taking skills, learn how to listen and follow instructions, learn scientific observation and understand how to communicate results.
For more information on ways you can volunteer during your child’s garden time, contact your classroom advisor or parent liaison.