Driver Middle School’s first summer school program, called Summer Academy, has officially come to a close for the 43 students who attended. Using a project based approach focused on the driving question, “How can we as individuals contribute to a healthy community?” students participated in an integrated, cross-curricular program where they created and sustained two vegetable gardens on the middle school campus.
As students collaborated in a variety of engaging activities, teachers used real-world opportunities to develop skills in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and the humanities fields.
Beginning with calculating the volume and area of the garden beds, students had to make decisions on the best location for optimal growth and research the best plants to harvest in this climate and time of season. Once planned, they created the raised bed gardens with the help of Mr. Koloski and Mrs. Cox, local nursery owners.
Once the plants were in, students executed scientific and mathematical experiments, charted the growth of their particular plants, while also reading and responding to videos and articles related to civic responsibility and food production at the local, national, and global levels. Embedded in the process was a strong focus on literacy and those century skills needed to be successful in the upcoming school year.
Participants also had the opportunity to learn about community involvement during a visit from Mrs. Germain, director of the Marcellus Food Pantry and from Representative John Katko, who came to DMS and talked to students about how he became a Congressman, how bills are passed in Congress, and how important it is to get involved in their community. The congressman also shared his experiences in school and reassured students that even though they may struggle at times, if they believe in themselves and never give up, they can accomplish anything.
In addition to the visitors to DMS, students also took a field trip to Hafner’s Garden Center and Greenhouse, and CORE, a restaurant specializing in organic foods and healthy eating. Both businesses provided educational tours for our students that complemented what they were learning about in the classroom.
Overall the program was a success and offered students an engaging alternative to the typical summer school program.
