Aristeidis Sgatzos

Cultivating Food, Knowledge, Solidarity -Towards a School Garden in the Era of the Climate Crisis.

Introduction

Cultivating food, knowledge, solidarity -towards a school garden in the era of the climate crisis.. Discover how school gardens foster ecological awareness, inclusivity, and critical thinking. This research explores their transformative role in sustainable education amid the climate crisis.

Abstract

This research, conducted at a primary school in Mytilene, Greece, investigates the transformative potential of school gardens in education, particularly their role in reshaping perceptions of nature among students, including refugee and migrant populations. Rooted in a permaculture philosophy, the project explores the integration of sustainable practices into Critical Education, challenging hegemonic views of nature while fostering ecological awareness, inclusivity, and community. The school garden serves as an interdisciplinary pedagogical tool, bridging subject boundaries and blurring traditional distinctions between classroom and outdoor learning spaces. Historically contextualized within the evolution of school gardens, from practical agricultural use to their aesthetic and environmental roles, this research situates the garden as a site for addressing current ecological and social challenges. Observations highlight how active engagement in the garden fosters a deeper connection to nature, overcomes initial fears, and unifies diverse student groups through collaborative labor. The project underscores the role of school gardens in promoting critical consciousness, ethical ecological practices, and social integration, presenting them as vital tools within a broader narrative of transformative education amidst the environmental crisis.  

Review

This paper, "Cultivating Food, Knowledge, Solidarity -Towards a School Garden in the Era of the Climate Crisis," presents a compelling exploration of school gardens as transformative educational tools. Situated in a primary school in Mytilene, Greece, the research uniquely investigates the role of permaculture-rooted practices within Critical Education to foster ecological awareness, inclusivity, and community, particularly among diverse student populations including refugees and migrants. The abstract effectively highlights the garden's function as an interdisciplinary pedagogical space that bridges traditional subject boundaries and blurs distinctions between indoor and outdoor learning, positioning it as a vital site for contemporary ecological and social challenges. The study's significance lies in its holistic approach, demonstrating how active engagement in the school garden cultivates not only a deeper connection to nature but also fosters social integration and overcomes initial apprehensions, especially within a multicultural student body. By challenging hegemonic views of nature and promoting critical consciousness, the project underscores the potential of such initiatives to instill ethical ecological practices and build solidarity. This research offers a timely and relevant contribution to the discourse on transformative education, advocating for school gardens as crucial instruments in equipping future generations to address the multifaceted challenges of the climate crisis. While the abstract convincingly outlines the project's ambitious scope and promising outcomes, a full exposition of the research would benefit from further methodological detail. For instance, clarifying the specific observational methods employed, the duration of the study, and how the "transformative potential" and "reshaping of perceptions" were systematically documented and analyzed would enhance its empirical rigor. Additionally, insights into any challenges encountered during implementation, or a more explicit discussion of how the "critical education" framework manifested in daily garden activities, would further enrich the narrative. These considerations, while beyond the scope of an abstract, point towards avenues for deeper exploration in the full manuscript, promising a robust contribution to both environmental education and social justice pedagogies.

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