For many in the state of Wisconsin, agriculture is instilled in them from a young age. Unfortunately, kids in the urban setting do not get the same experiences. The River Trails School of Agricultural Sciences is looking to change that, by allowing kids to immerse themselves in agriculture starting in K4.
“It was about two years ago that we got the certification of being an agriculture specialty school,” explained Josh Gonzalez, a second-grade teacher at the school. “Even though that was only two years ago, we started agriculture into the school around nine years ago.”
Seeing the bare shelves in grocery stores during the time of the pandemic was one of the big reasons the school felt that it was important to get this specialization. They felt that teaching the students to be able to be more self-reliant by growing their own food is an important life skill. The curriculum gives a hands-on approach to the learning.
What is learned
Starting in Kindergarten the kids learn about pollinators, where they have garden beds focused on attracting pollinators. They also have the opportunity to help caterpillars grow and turn into butterflies. As the kids move through the program, they also get an opportunity to work with animals. These animals are chickens and soon to be sheep. These animals help take care of the produce that falls on the ground in their food forest. This forest is a permaculture that includes fruit trees and nut trees, this way there is no new planting necessary. At the end of their time in the school the students learn the business side. The 7th graders set the price points and work on marketing while 8th graders act as the CEO’s. Having the ability to grow food at the school also allows parents to know that their kids are getting safe and healthy meals.
After Completion
“What makes us really unique is that we pair with Vincent High School. That is Milwaukee’s agriculture specialty high school,” says Gonzalez. “And as far as we can tell, we are the only Pre-K through 8th grade school in the country that has this specialization.”
This pairing with Vincent High School allows students to have the agricultural background necessary to excel in the school. Being able to instill agriculture in the students’ lives from a young age gives them a better understanding of agriculture. The hope is that the students will be able to produce for themselves as well as help be able to continue to better the agriculture industry.
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