Eden High School
A group of students at Eden High School in Ontario are using their passion for plants to retrofit their school’s old greenhouse and begin growing crops to feed their community.
Eden High School
A group of students at Eden High School in Ontario are using their passion for plants to retrofit their school’s old greenhouse and begin growing crops to feed their community.
The Problem
A group of friends at Eden High School in Ontario began learning about plants during lockdown and wanted to learn more. So they formed a greenhouse club at their school as a way to build community around their new passion! But unfortunately the greenhouse at their school had first been built many decades ago and had fallen into disrepair.
The Solution
The club asked their teacher if they could try to fix the greenhouse and began clearing out the overgrown plants that filled it. The students researched how to repair the greenhouse and make it more energy efficient and began the repairs so that once again it could be a space for students to learn about sustainable agriculture and grow food to support their school community. They also wanted to take a full circle approach to food systems and began their own in-school composting program, which they use to support plant growth in the greenhouse!
10
students and multiple teachers now working on the project!
100+
students and teachers engaged at their school and hope to engage the whole school through ongoing tours of the greenhouse and curriculum-aligned lesson plans.
Lessons Learned
“The greenhouse retrofits are amazing! It really feels like we can start using the greenhouse without having the heater on nonstop in the winter, and it feels newer, so students are no longer looking at the space like it's a dump.”
Mike Idzenga, Teacher Lead
“With all the tips and tricks that I learned this year, for the rest of my life I can do that to plant my own garden”
Ben, Student
Eden High School greenhouse and outdoor garden beds.
