News Details

September 2024

Putting your hands into the soil and helping a plant grow involves a unique kind of learning, especially in an urban environment like Wayne Township. Thanks to the Horticulture Science Program at the Area 31 Career Center - and a little help from the Wayne Township Education Foundation - many students are experiencing the joy of gardening for the first time.  

“Gardening is an essential skill to develop in students,” said Area 31 Horticulture Science Instructor Clarissa Morgan. “It teaches students the hard work and patience necessary to create food. It introduces students to new foods they may have not tried otherwise. The low-intensity exercise required to maintain a garden keeps students healthy, both mentally and physically. Many students in Wayne Township do not have a garden at home, whether it be due to living in an apartment building or not having one built in their yard.”

Clarissa has helped the dream of learning to garden become a reality for her students at Ben Davis High School’s Area 31 Career Center. When the center’s Landscaping Program made the transition to a Horticulture Science Program in 2020, students began to learn more about plant science, along with gaining experience in growing food and specialty crops.

“During this transition, the horticulture garden consisted of a few beds constructed with wood,” Clarissa said. “This wood was falling apart, and the plants were overgrown. Most of the space outside was not being used for gardening. Though there was food being grown and donated, it was not an ideal space for students to learn.” 

The Wayne Township Education Foundation, along with students in the Area 31 Construction Trades Program, helped provide a solution. With funding from WTEF, the construction trades students helped the Horticulture Science Program build a new garden, which included many large beds. When students returned to school in 2023, the garden was thriving with crops that were planted by the prior year’s students. Horticulture science students harvested the crops throughout the fall. 

During the winter, students began planning for the next spring’s planting. They also created ideas for a sign to educate others about the garden; that sign was designed and printed in collaboration with students from the Area 31 Graphic Imaging Program. 

In April of 2024, Chapelwood Elementary students visited the garden to learn about gardening. All of the first grade students came over to create a Mother’s Day plant craft and to learn about what horticulture is. Students visited various stations, including the greenhouse and the outdoor garden. In the garden, they learned about worms, weeds, and watering. Students learned how to dig with a trowel and spray a hose to water some plants. A Ben Davis High School THRIVE class also visited the garden to learn about Horticulture. 

“With the help of the Wayne Township Education Foundation, the horticulture class was able to transform an overgrown garden into a beautiful sanctuary,” said Clarissa. “This garden will be used for many years to come as a place to grow both plants and student’s minds.”

Learn more about the Area 31 Career Center - including the Horticulture Science, Construction Trades, and Graphic Imaging Programs - here.

ABOUT THE WAYNE TOWNSHIP EDUCATION FOUNDATION
The Wayne Township Education Foundation (WTEF) provides community leadership to enrich, engage, and stimulate teaching and learning in the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township. WTEF accomplishes this by supporting school programs and resources, while recognizing excellence among students and staff. To learn more about WTEF and/or establishing a named, designated fund, call 317-988-7966, visit wtef.wayne.k12.in.us, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter @WayneTwpEdFound.