Save the Date – School Garden Mentorship returns Jan 23rd!
Tessa Stiven
Hello School Garden Mentorship network,
Welcome back to the third year of F2SBC's School Garden Mentorship program. Register now for the 2024 series!
For the 2024 series, we are focusing on guest speakers and the unique knowledge and expertise they bring. The guest speakers will act as your mentors, sharing their authentic stories to help you navigate the growing season with your classroom. Also, we will have a longer Q&A time this year, to provide the opportunity to tailor the discussion to the current needs of your school garden.
The program officially kicks off on Tuesday, January 23rd from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm PST with our first session on “Establishing a School Garden Culture”. Led by our experienced F2SBC staff and featuring guest speaker Michelle Roberge (WL McLeod Elementary School, SD 91), this session will delve into the significance of cultivating a strong garden committee to nurture a positive atmosphere, which will lead to a more sustainable garden.
McLeod School’s Farm to School journey started over a decade ago with a volunteer run, part-time, single salad bar. Over this decade plus, the program has grown leaps and bounds to include a greenhouse and garden, two kitchen staff, indoor growing and curriculum, meal programs and kitchen/life skills education, and long-term food security focus for the school community. This presentation will take you through their journey to inspire and show what is possible with time, partnership, patience and passion. The presentation will use the McLeod journey to show ways for schools to build upon each success of their Farm to School Program by involving the community, students and educators to establish a strong culture to support the sustainability of the program.
Explore upcoming workshops and noteworthy changes in this year's SGM program by visiting https://farmtoschoolbc.ca/garden-mentorship/
Looking forward to seeing you there,
Tessa and Sonya
ven (she/her)