Greenhouses growing both food and student engagement

High-tech greenhouses are providing students with hands-on lessons in food production, potentially improving engagement, wellbeing, and learning. Food Ladder, a not-for-profit organization, runs a greenhouse program in nine south-east Queensland schools, including Pacific Pines State High School. The program aims to address food insecurity while teaching students valuable life skills.

Students at Pacific Pines are tending to rows of lettuce, herbs, and vegetables in a high-tech greenhouse. Year 8 student Lilly Anne Robins finds growing produce has given her a new perspective on its value. Food Ladder CEO Kelly McJannett emphasizes that the program teaches students a valuable life skill, as they plant the seeds, monitor conditions, and harvest the produce.

The greenhouse education extends beyond horticulture, incorporating science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) principles. Students learn about water temperature, growing conditions, and the technology used to maintain the greenhouse environment. Ahmed Maryol, a student, notes that the greenhouse experience involves more than just cooking, as it teaches science and technology.

Teacher Bridget Gutteridge highlights the diverse learning opportunities the greenhouse program offers, with geography and business classes showing interest in using the greenhouse for educational purposes. Professor Donna Pendergast from Griffith Institute for Educational Research agrees, stating that students are learning practical skills, applying classroom knowledge to real-world problems, and working collaboratively.

She notes that these programs can give students a sense of purpose, responsibility, and belonging, leading to increased attendance rates.

Food Ladder hopes that the program will equip students with skills they can use long after they leave education, emphasizing that teaching young people how to grow their own food is about providing them with tools for a lifetime.