Best of the Week 2021-2022: Teaching to the Future

ST. ED'S GARDEN PROJECT FEATURED IN THE IB GLOBAL CONFERENCE

St. Ed's Garden Project was recently featured in the 2021 IB Global Conference as one of 22 community projects around the world that are making an impact. The Garden Project, led by Language Acquisition Department Chair Lisa Hardin and Engineering & Technology Department Chair JC Froelich '08, has reached major interdisciplinary benchmarks to provide a problem-solving experience for students to create an entirely new addition to St. Ed's campus. Activating the learner profile, St. Ed's Garden Project has evolved from a layout of design plans to a full-functioning garden with a compost tumbler and a soon-to-be chicken coop that produced over 500 pounds of food donated to those in need in our community this year. "When we talk about vision and dedication at St. Edward, JC and Lisa immediately come to mind. They have, over the past 2 years, been key figures in our most rigorous interdisciplinary project ever. The Garden Project synthesizes care for creation, ethical approaches to our consumption/food/waste cycles, and hands-on, meaningful student learning," says Associate Dean of Academics and IB Coordinator Nick Kuhar. "This beautiful initiative binds together our past, present and future as a Holy Cross and International Baccalaureate World School. The work they have contributed alongside our students gives us a glimpse of the interdisciplinary school we aspire to be and harkens back to our deepest roots as a Catholic institution in the Book of Genesis: doing good work together in a garden. Thanks to St. Ed's faculty leadership, science, engineering, social studies and theology-grounded public service have come together in a seamless way that’s already left a potent impression on our students." As a community-wide project layered in skills and knowledge for our students to experience, whether as students in Design & Technology and Biology to English Literature, Business Management and Entrepreneurship, the Garden Project continues to innovate new ways to involve Edsmen to sustain the longevity of collaboration for years to come.