The garden allows the students to reconnect with the earth without having to travel, said Jessy. Growing their own food that will be served in their school lunches empowers them to take an interest in their own well-being and health.

Laurel, an art student, taught the students about sculpture and how to glaze tiles that were used to create mosaic stepping stones in the garden as well as the base for a sundial that she created in the university’s metal shop. She taught them to make wind chimes from “found objects” scavenged from the Monterey Regional Environmental Park – in the process, teaching them about recycling – and how to create copper “leaves” to hang from the branches of a “tree” she made from rebar. Using the students’ individual works of art to create one large sculpture taught them about teamwork.



Last year, an empty field stood behind the school. Now, that field has been turned into a communal space for the students, a place where they can create works of art, grow their own food, learn to sustain a relationship with the environment, and attend classes in an outdoor learning space. The students have taken ownership of the space because they are the creators of it. The benefit of creation – of reclaiming unused space and turning it into something beautiful – is the most important part of the project.