Lucero Outdoor Garden Classroom

The outdoor classroom project will be located in the garden area at PS 311. Our vision for the garden is to provide an organic, four-season growing space and outdoor classroom on school grounds where teachers, supported by FoodCorps and Edible Schoolyard NYC staff members, can teach an interdisciplinary curriculum, provide in-school and afterschool programming for students, families and community members, and serve as a model to support teachers and principals throughout New York City.

Our goal for the outdoor classroom project is to continue to build upon the initial garden’s 21 square foot container garden space. Currently the garden space is very limited and we are only able to engage a small amount of students at a time. In order to reach our goals to expand garden programming and to work with larger groups of students more frequently, we need to expand the physical space of our garden.

This fundraiser will make it possible to expand our garden into other parts of the school courtyard area, next to the school playground, through the addition of 6 2'x4' raised, sub-irrigated planters. With increased planting and teaching space, we will be able to achieve our goal of engaging more students and school community members.

February 2017: Begin plant starts indoors. Plan school fundraisers.

March-May 2017: Hold school fundraisers. Purchase all planter materials and assemble. Transplant plant starts to planters.

March-June 2017: Use the expanded garden for garden lessons with all students.

September 2017 and on: Continue regular maintenance with students through garden classes and other programming; e.g. planting seedlings, mixing and adding nutrients and water, and harvesting.

This project will make it possible to expand our garden. With the increased planting and teaching space, we will be able to achieve our goal of engaging more students and school community members in the garden.