Mulching and care of young plants is explained at the Teachers Training Workshop. Plenty Extension Officer Abib Palma is at the left rear. (Photo by Mirna Trapp)

There are now school gardens at 21 of the 50 primary schools here in the southernmost Toledo District of Belize... this is a huge growth from the 4 schools we started with back in February of 2002! Three of the new schools put up their fences and have gotten started within the past month.

On January 7/8, we held a teacher training workshop to help participating teachers better utilize and maintain the gardens. This is the first training in which we had active participation by the Ministry of Education. The District Education Officer gave the keynote speech, encouraging school gardens, and officially allowing Gardening to be scheduled as a class. The Curriculum Development Officer discussed how gardening should be included in the teacher’s weekly lesson plans, and ideas for integrating the garden with other subjects such as math and science. Thirty teachers attended both days, and about 45 attended at least one day.

We have seen some great improvements in the gardens, teaching, and attitudes of our teachers since this training. I see this sort of thing as key to the long-term sustainability of the project. What we all want is for the gardens to become an integral part of the schools, to continue without Plenty’s regular continued support and input. One of the keys to making this happen is the teachers. They need to know how to garden, to find some joy in it… and how to use the gardens to improve their teaching.

Teacher Training Workshop on Organic School Gardens

On Friday 21 April and Saturday 22 April Plenty held another Teacher Training Workshop on Organic School Gardens. 35 teachers took time out of their vacations to attend on Friday, and 25 attended on Saturday. This workshop differed from the previous workshop. On Friday, we broke into small groups and learned about tomatoes, sweet peppers, cabbage, sweet potatoes, cocoyam, and papaya. On Saturday, we had a session on using the garden to help prepare student for the standardized Primary School Exams, followed by an environmental education session on Understanding Ecosystems with discussion about how to best use dvds and educational media to teach these subjects in the classroom. After these morning sessions, we took a field trip and visited the school gardens at Forest Home, San Felipe, Laguna, San Marcos, Columbia and Mafredi. The field trip ended with a tour of the organic farm of Mr Burton Caliz, 2005 Senior Farmer of the Year.

Comments by teachers:

1. This workshop was very educational and impressive. I enjoyed the small group activities because it gave me and many other teachers the ability to be actively involved. The facilitators were well-prepared and had excellent information on their topics, which probably contributed to the excellent lessons.

The trips to the different gardens were very educational and worthwhile. I had the opportunity to see and touch product produced in the gardens. I even took some product and seeds for my consumption and use in growing more.

Thanks to the hardworking students and teachers and the members of the Plenty organization for the excellent work they have put into the garden projects in this district.

I want to implore Plenty to ensure that whenever another school wants to undertake this project in the future, that they have the basic materials, equipment, and training available for a good and productive and prosperous garden in all the communities of our district.

Thanks

2. For me this workshop was very interesting. I really enjoyed learning about the different crops and how they grow. I didn't have that much knowledge about gardening before I came. I believe that I can now go and make my own personal garden and help my students with theirs at school. I really think that all teachers should attend this workshop. Thanks to Plenty for the experience. It was great!

3. Firstly I will take this opportunity to applaud the Plenty Belize staff for the wonderful workshop that they held. I attended all the sessions and I can safely say that all the staff members were prepared and are knowledgeable of the material they presented. I fell that I have gathered a lot from this workshop and that I am ready to apply it. I will look forward to another one and will surely be there.

4. Even though the duration of the workshop is short, I personally can say that I have learned so much useful information that I can practice at home and at school. I have observed some things done to prepare a garden which I was unaware of. All of the facilitators were well-prepared in giving us steps or methods of going about planting, caring and harvesting the vegetables. I enjoyed all of the sessions. I especially learned a lot from the field trip we took -- I touched and saw the work of other people. I really enjoyed this workshop!

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