|
Local Second-Graders Contribute to
the Community Garden at Cathedral
Gardens
Dec. 1, 2006—Second-graders at The School at Columbia, a K-8 school affiliated with
Columbia University and Barnard College, are incorporating the creation
of a community garden at Cathedral Gardens into their integrated
curriculum. After visiting the site to brainstorm what could make this
space more inviting for members of the community, they decided to plant
bulbs that will bloom in the spring. Marechal Brown, the
Morningside Park Horticulturist, is advising the project.
Two of the second-grade teachers who are working on the community
garden
project are Barnard alumnaeJulia Alexander '06 and Eliza (Bang) Chung
'03. Chung, who has a Master’s degree in Cognitive Studies in
Educational Practice from Teacher’s College, is also a resident of the
neighborhood. She notes that “I was thrilled to hear that…Cathedral
Gardens would be a shared-use facility. As a teacher, when I read that
a
community garden would be created, I asked if my students could be
involved in development. At The School, our integrated curriculum in
second grade revolves around Community, and it seemed like
the perfect opportunity to collaborate. The best part of this project
for
me is that my students feel a sense of pride in helping their
community.”
And, judging from a few of their comments, her students are clearly as
enthusiastic about the project as she is:
"I liked the planting best. It makes the park look better because
before,
it only had green plants. More people will enjoy the community garden.
It
felt good to help the community garden."
"I never got to plant before. We're really helping the
community!"
"It felt good to plant because I knew we were helping other people
when we
planted the bulbs."
Cathedral Gardens, located at 217 Manhattan Avenue and 110th Street, is one of the first multiuse college residence halls in
the
country, housing not only Barnard students but Barnard faculty members
and their families as well. Besides sharing the community garden,
students and faculty members also share a laundry room, a community
room
and an outdoor terrace.
|
