Prairie students, volunteers highlight decade-long community garden as classroom

At a school board meeting on Sept. 8, Prairie students, retired teachers and volunteers presented the Prairie Community Garden as an ongoing learning space used across grade levels. “The school garden is more than just a patch of soil. It's a living classroom,” said Chris Chaney, a retired teacher who helped present the project, describing the garden's role in science, nutrition and sustainability lessons.

The garden has existed for more than 11 years and was started with a grant that paid for initial materials, presenters said. Students described classroom-to-garden activities: starting seeds in the classroom, using a garden-planning app to plot beds, tracking plant life cycles and harvesting produce. “The garden is a learning space where we get to talk with our friends and learn outside of the classroom,” said student Otto Westby.

Presenters showed examples of curriculum connections. Teachers said the garden supports science units on plant and insect life cycles, provides hands-on opportunities for reading and math, and gives students exposure to new foods; teachers reported using harvests in classroom tasting activities and occasionally supplying produce to the school kitchen. “We made pesto in the classroom,” one teacher said, and students described making pickles and salsa from garden produce.

Volunteers and retired staff members outlined how the garden is maintained during the school year and over the summer, noting regular donations of plants from the high school greenhouse and local businesses. Presentation materials included photos of students planting, tilling soil and harvesting. Presenters asked the board to recognize the role of volunteers and grounds staff in keeping the garden active and available to families and the larger Waunakee community.

Why it matters: Presenters framed the garden as both an instructional tool tied to district curriculum goals and a community-building resource that provides direct experiences with food production and environmental stewardship. Board members thanked the students and volunteers and presented certificates to participants.

The district will continue to support garden activities through volunteer coordination and existing building resources; presenters encouraged families and community members to get involved with summer upkeep and planned fundraising efforts.