Family & Community Students & Families Student and Secondary Support
21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Grant Program
(Federally funded through NCLB Title IVB - Fund Code 647)

Promising Practices - Somerville 21CCLC Program

I. Program Info

II. Learning Outcomes

SAYO Academic Outcomes

Math Problem Solving

ELA Verbal Communication

Science

 

SAYO Intermediary Outcomes

Behavior

Communication

Relationships with adults

Relationships with peers

III. Narrative

1. Project Description:

   Groundwork Somerville runs a gardening program two days a week. Students, who are enrolled for both days, work with well-educated instructors to develop healthy gardens. The gardens serve as an outdoor classroom where children experience the pleasure of planning, growing, preparing and eating good, healthy foods. Students are involved in math problem solving skills such as measuring the size of plants over time with a metric stick and converting into inches. They learn to cook and convert recipes from one serving into multiple servings by multiplying fractions. All activities are hands-on and there is on going verbal communication between the instructors and the students, as well as between students. To understand the inter-relationship among living things, students create and study worm-composting bins. They discuss what belongs in a compost bin, what does not and why. They present observations of the compost bin to the whole group. Students build terrariums and discuss what is necessary to keep it healthy and alive. These are just a few of the many activities that Groundwork Somerville's Gardening Program has accomplished.

   Samples of lesson plans:

   	Metric Garden Scavenger Hunt
   	Noisy Rainbow Salad

2. Needed materials and costs:

   There are many materials needed to run a gardening program. Groundwork charges $1,800 for the program that runs twice a week for an eleven-week semester. The cost included all supplies, materials, and instructor fees.

3. How do you know this practice is having a positive impact on students?

   Multiple site visits and observations using the APT have produced positive feedback regarding this program. In addition, the children who enroll show improved pre-to-post SAYO outcomes for peer-to-peer relationships, adult relationships, and scientific thinking.

4. If applicable, describe strategies that were used to help overcome barriers you may have faced in designing and/or implementing the practice.

   This was the first year that we explicitly incorporated math concepts in the program, which at first was met with some reluctance. The course description stated that there would be math in the garden, but many students did not read the description. Once in the club, many just wanted to work in the garden, do maintenance work, science activities, and cooking. The math activities had to be engaging and hands-on. In the measuring metric activity, the students created a large metric ruler for their own use. Next semester when offering the two-day program one day will focus more on gardening and one day will focus on Math in the garden.

5. What factors do you think have contributed most to the success of this practice?

   The knowledge, passion, and enthusiasm of the instructors have clearly made this program a success. The instructors know what they are doing, they know how to engage the students, and they make the learning fun and hands-on.

6. What suggestions do you have for others regarding potential improvements?

   • Establish partnership with local garden club, farm or gardening agency. Groundwork Somerville was an original partner in Somerville. You may locate similar partners through the 4-H Club or Audubon Society.

   • Secure commitment of schools or city regarding the use of existing gardens or potential space for new gardens. For example, Somerville is building a new school and we requested architectural consideration of our gardens.

   • Knowledgeable, passionate, and enthusiastic instructors are the key to fostering a successful learning partnership in any 21st Century Program, whether it is a Homework Teacher or Club Provider. You must start with a firm foundation for any program to be a success or to improve.