Growing More Than Just Plants

Marcus Kassick, Community Engagement Coordinator [TerraCorps]

Students at Orchard Gardens K-8 School harvesting radish

As we wrap up another school year, we’re taking a moment to reflect on all the growth we’ve witnessed not just in the soil, but in the students, the relationships, and the community around our school gardens.

When the school year began last fall, the gardens were winding down from a busy summer. Tomato vines were tangled and browning, sunflower stalks stood tall and hollow, and a few brave kale leaves clung on through the changing weather. In many ways, the students we met were in a similar place. They were curious, full of energy, and not quite sure what the year ahead would bring. Some had never stepped foot in a garden before. Others were returning with memories of digging in the dirt, spotting worms, and tasting fresh cherry tomatoes for the first time.

From those early days, we could see the potential: a garden full of tiny seeds, and students just waiting to grow.

Green Team members visiting the Dudley Greenhouse

Over the course of the year, our weekly visits to the garden transformed from novelty into routine, and then from routine into something more meaningful. Students learned how to identify native plants, how compost works, and why pollinators are essential. They learned how to plant garlic in the fall and harvest radishes in the spring. But more importantly, they learned patience, observation, and care.

One of the most rewarding parts of this work is seeing students develop a deeper relationship with the land, and with each other. There’s something powerful about watching a second grader who was once afraid to touch a worm become the first to gently rescue one from a garden bed. Or seeing a quiet student light up while explaining photosynthesis to their peers, just because they remembered the steps from last week's lesson.

We watched kids learn how to take turns watering the garden, how to share tools, how to problem-solve when their bean trellis collapsed or the kale got eaten by a mystery garden visitor. These lessons weren’t just about plants, they were about collaboration, responsibility, and resilience.

By springtime, the gardens were buzzing again with bees, butterflies, and kids, all busy in their own ways. And it wasn’t just the plants that had grown. Students had found new confidence in their voices and their choices. They asked questions like 'Do plants sleep?' and 'Can I name this carrot?', made close observations, and offered thoughtful insights on topics they had learned over the course of the year.

We were continually inspired by their curiosity and their ability to connect with what they saw in the garden.

This work doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s made possible by the dedication of our Garden Educators, who show up rain or shine with lesson plans, compost buckets, and boundless enthusiasm. It’s supported by school staff and families who believe in outdoor, hands-on learning. And of course, it’s fueled by the energy, imagination, and open hearts of the young people we work with every day.

As we transition into our Summer Green Team program and begin preparing for the fall, we carry with us the stories of this school year, the laughter of a class pulling carrots, the quiet focus of students observing changes in the garden, and the collective cheer when someone spots the season’s first ripe strawberry.

In a world that often moves too fast, the school garden offers a different pace: one that values observation, care, and connection. We’re grateful to be part of that rhythm, and grateful to all the students who remind us, again and again, that learning can be joyful, transformative, and rooted in the soil beneath our feet.

Thank you for growing with us this year!