About the Project

The Dolores Huerta International Academy STEAM Garden is a school-wide initiative to promote transdisciplinary learning through real-world applied experience. Students/staff will work in project teams to design and develop a community garden focused on environmental stewardship. This living laboratory will be guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and study of earth sciences, native resources,environmental science, cultural practices, the engineering design process, and technology for sustainability. Team facilitators will align classroom content studies to applied learning in the garden to provide opportunities for students to make connections between subject content and applied learning as they design, construct, and cultivate the garden. Team one will focus on collecting data from a community survey to establish the purpose of our garden (i,e. nutritional, experimental, aesthetic, or a combination) and design the garden space using the engineering design process while keeping in mind sustainable technology. Team two will focus on earth studies to investigate soil, soil amendment, native plants and what can be grown naturally. Team three will focus on water systems and climate. Our final team will focus on plant and animal life cycles and how living organisms play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy and thriving garden.