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The Ecovillage Garden Structured Project aims to create sustainable learning-gardens for the students at the Ecovillage in Charlottesville, Virginia. The raised garden beds will be an outdoor learning space where the students will be able to learn gardening techniques through hands-on activity.

Learning gardens are known to have a large positive impact on the learning curve for elementary aged children. Students will be able to learn about science through actual field work, math through the various data that could be collected from a garden, the history of agriculture, and language arts skills through keeping a constant journal of what they have accomplished in the garden.

The solution decided upon by the team members was to construct multiple hexagonal garden beds next to the Ecovillage’s academic building. The design would be conducive for students to be able to work in groups, as well as space for an instructor garden for the teacher to teach students how to garden.

The Structured Project exists so that new EGG members can get hands-on project experience and learn how to be a part of a successful project. This project is led by a student with project experience that can help lead the new students through the entire project cycle from idea formulation to project completion. The new students learn how to work with a community partner, create multiple solutions to the issue at hand, and how to choose the best solution for the problem and then implement it.

Project Timeline