Garden and Sustainability
The foundation for a lifetime of environmental stewardship, healthy eating, and connection to nature is developed in the outdoor garden classroom.
Through games and special projects, students gain ecological literacy—the ability to understand and sustainably interact with the environment. By exploring academics through the lens of solutions-based practices that regenerate soil, water, and communities, students are better prepared for the world they will inherit.
Vital skills for regenerative living are practiced through weekly garden classes. The core curriculum includes:
- Nature Connection and Appreciation
- Soil, Composting, and Microorganisms
- Ecological Design and Biomimicry
- Nutrition, Cooking, and Herbalism
- Plant Identification
- Changemakers and Communities
- Food Systems
- Mushroom Inoculation, Mycelium, and Tree Communication
- Eco-crafting
Ecological literacy is infused into the broader school culture, empowering students to become the next generation of green leaders. This is supported through the following school-wide initiatives:
- Zero-Waste Sustainability Challenges
- Environmental Field Trips within the Community
- Earth Month School-wide projects
- Environmentalists as guest speakers for community meetings
- Naturally built cob playground structures made of repurposed materials
- Non-toxic school cleaning supplies
These initiatives promote a creator culture rather than a consumer one, allowing students to experience sustainability firsthand. Examples of sustainability in action at AVS include:
- Outdoor classroom benches and playground structures made with “bottle bricks” (plastic bottles stuffed tight with items that would otherwise be sent to the landfill) and cob (a mixture of sand, clay, and straw)
- 1000+ gallon rainwater catchment system