Development of a Sustainable Food and Garden-Based Educational Guide for Conserve School to Promote Healthy Lifestyle and Food Choices for Participants' Wellbeing and Environmental Sustainability
File(s)
Date
2011-05Author
Maxwell, Rachel E.
Publisher
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, College of Natural Resources
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
This project developed and compiled lesson plans and activities focused on sustainable food and
gardening. In doing so, the goal for this project was to expand the environmentally-focused curriculum
and programs of Conserve School to include a crucial environmental topic. Additionally, it has required
the utilization of the garden for education, rather than simply for a source for produce. The overarching
and most essential purpose of this study was to connect participants of the developed lessons and
activities with their natural environment, specifically, with regard to the origin and acquisition of the
food they eat and how this ties into environmental and human health. The target audience for this
project was the high school students at Conserve School, an environmentally-focused semester school in
Land O’ Lakes, WI.
This study reviewed literature on the connections between consumption and growing practices
of both conventionally and organically grown food on human health. It also reviewed literature on the
effects that both sustainable, organic growing practices and conventional growing practices have on the
environment. Furthermore, this project utilized food and garden-based education programs in the U.S.
as resources for the development of the activities and lesson plans.
Finally and most importantly, the end product of this study is an educational guide comprised of
lessons and activities whose goal is to enable students to understand and feel personally connected to
basic concepts of gardening and food; cultivate viable, pragmatic gardening and cooking skills; and
inspire and empower students to utilize and share these skills and lessons learned in their home
communities.