Langley, B.C. Good things happen when students get to experience their learning through hands-on activities and lessonsthats what Natures Classroom is all about. In 2011, Envision Financial, Langley Environmental Partners Society (LEPS), and Maples Discovery Gardens Co-Op launched Natures Classroom to provide Langley students in grades three to seven the opportunity to grow food for the local community while becoming stewards of the environment. The program is now in its fourth year and all produce grown this season will be donated to the Langley Senior Resources Society and the Salvation Army Gateway of Hope.
"Natures Classroom provides local students with an incredible and interactive learning opportunity," says Nikki Barrett, branch manager at Envision Financials Willoughby location. "The program helps students experience the importance of giving back to those in need. Its perfectly aligned with Envision Financials signature cause, The Full Cupboard, designed to raise food, funds and awareness for local food banks."
As part of Natures Classroom, Langley students in six classes selected from Global Montessori School, Langley Meadows, R.C. Garnett, James Kennedy, and Alex Hope elementary schools will attend six workshops at Maples Discovery Gardens Co-op (located across from the Langley Events Centre on 200th Street) over a 12-week period beginning in April and ending in June. Last year, six garden plots and two table top gardens provided a bounty of lettuce, kale, potatoes, beets, radishes and carrots to the Langley Food Bank and Gateway of Hope.
"LEPS is pleased to once again offer this innovative program to Langley students," says Nichole Marples, Executive Director at LEPS. "Natures Classroom provides a unique opportunity for students to learn about growing food, while developing skills around social and environmental responsibility. We are grateful for the support of Envision Financial and the involvement of our partners, the Maples Discovery Gardens, to enable the delivery of Natures Classroom."
The goals of the Natures Classroom program are:
- To provide youth with the opportunity to discover where food really comes from
- To help youth develop food security skills through growing their own food
- To educate youth about the importance of keeping the environment free of pesticides and pollutants
- To inform youth about the importance of soil and its components
- To help youth develop an awareness of social responsibility by growing and donating food those in need in the local community
At the end of the program, the students will attend a harvest celebration with teachers and volunteers. The workshop lesson plans and activity sheets that have been developed for this program are available for educators to download, free of charge, from the
Envision Financial and
LEPS websites.
The vegetables that will be grown by the students have been identified as the most nutritious and easiest for distribution by local community food distribution programs. Last year over 95,000 British Columbians accessed their local food bank, 30% of whom were children.
Langley Environmental Partners Society
Langley Environmental Partners Society is a non-profit, partnership-driven organization founded in 1993, to achieve the mission of "protecting and restoring the natural environment through education, cooperation and action." For more information, visit
www.leps.bc.ca.
Envision Financial
Envision Financial is a division of First West Credit Union, B.C.'s third-largest credit union, with 39 branches and 28 insurance offices throughout the province operating under the Envision Financial, Valley First and Enderby & District Financial brands. Led by Launi Skinner, First West has $7.7 billion in assets under administration, more than 177,000 members and close to 1,300 employees. For its extensive community involvement, Envision Financial is designated a Caring Company by Imagine Canada. For more information on Envision Financial, visit
www.envisionfinancial.ca.
Langley, B.C. Good things happen when students get to experience their learning through hands-on activities and lessonsthats what Natures Classroom is all about. In 2011, Envision Financial, Langley Environmental Partners Society (LEPS), and Maples Discovery Gardens Co-Op launched Natures Classroom to provide Langley students in grades three to seven the opportunity to grow food for the local community while becoming stewards of the environment. The program is now in its fourth year and all produce grown this season will be donated to the Langley Senior Resources Society and the Salvation Army Gateway of Hope.
"Natures Classroom provides local students with an incredible and interactive learning opportunity," says Nikki Barrett, branch manager at Envision Financials Willoughby location. "The program helps students experience the importance of giving back to those in need. Its perfectly aligned with Envision Financials signature cause, The Full Cupboard, designed to raise food, funds and awareness for local food banks."
As part of Natures Classroom, Langley students in six classes selected from Global Montessori School, Langley Meadows, R.C. Garnett, James Kennedy, and Alex Hope elementary schools will attend six workshops at Maples Discovery Gardens Co-op (located across from the Langley Events Centre on 200th Street) over a 12-week period beginning in April and ending in June. Last year, six garden plots and two table top gardens provided a bounty of lettuce, kale, potatoes, beets, radishes and carrots to the Langley Food Bank and Gateway of Hope.
"LEPS is pleased to once again offer this innovative program to Langley students," says Nichole Marples, Executive Director at LEPS. "Natures Classroom provides a unique opportunity for students to learn about growing food, while developing skills around social and environmental responsibility. We are grateful for the support of Envision Financial and the involvement of our partners, the Maples Discovery Gardens, to enable the delivery of Natures Classroom."
The goals of the Natures Classroom program are: