How does the garden help them grow?

GEELONG College head of teaching and learning Adrian Camm believes that young people need to spend time outside, to stop and look, and to dig in the dirt to learn to understand and value our environment.
“Nature can’t be something that is only found in specially created parks, it is all around us and we need to immerse ourselves in it to learn deeply,” he said.
“We can only grasp its immeasurable beauty, mystery and complexity, and how essential the earth’s natural systems are to our survival by digging in the dirt, tending the garden and coming into close contact with the living things.”
In Year 4 at Geelong College, students spend the year immersed in a cross-disciplinary Enviro program designed to help transition students to their new Middle School environment and to encourage curiosity, personal responsibility and deep learning.
Throughout Year 4, the students are challenged by the question, “How can we create a good tomorrow?”
Students learn how to live sustainably, they develop the concept of identity, a sense of responsibility and come to understand the world as a living system that they can contribute to.
In the garden students learn focus, patience, teamwork and social skills as well as gardening and agricultural concepts and, most importantly, the true source of their food.
They plan, sow, plant, tend and harvest fresh and cook meals for the whole year level – all the while becoming aware of the importance of looking after of the land and the joy and importance of cooking and sharing food.
Instead of being afraid or not understanding the dire warnings of a looming environmental crisis, Year 4 students are empowered to think and act for the environment, and to effectively spread this message to others. At Geelong College we are all committed to creating a good tomorrow.
Find out more about our Year 4 Enviro Program! A third class will run again in 2017 opening up a small number of additional places. Please contact our admissions team on 5226 3156 to arrange a visit.