June 1, 2023
Where does our food come from? Who has access to healthful food? How is climate change affecting our food? Project S.O.W. (Seeds of Wonder), a free curriculum developed by Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), gives teachers ways to explore these issues with young people aged 13–19.
In Project S.O.W., youth work together to investigate how to grow food, explore their relationship with the land and food system, and practice leadership in their communities. Youth discover the power of food gardening to provide their families and communities with fresh and affordable food, and experience firsthand the connection that this practice brings.
The lessons include hands-on growing and gardening opportunities, group discussions and trust activities, as well as the study of people working for food justice in their communities. The lessons are available on the web or as a free downloadable PDF.
Cornell also offers a variety of other opportunities for educators interested in food justice, including a six-week course focused on the planning and development of community and school gardens.
Plus: Dig Art! Cultivating Creativity in the Garden is a project guide from Cornell CALS that integrates gardening with the arts. The arts activities in this guide help teach ecological literacy and inspire new enthusiasm for garden-based learning. Dig Art! supports youth in creatively expressing their garden experiences through gourd art, printmaking, time-lapse photography, and other creative projects.