About the Project

The Inclusive Garden Project is a proposal to create a garden for the preschool programs at William Brooks Elementary. The garden project would serve two programs and two classrooms. First, a full inclusion preschool (3-5-year-old students, one third of whom have an IEP) The Full Inclusion classroom is co-taught with a state preschool teacher and a special education teacher. The Autism preschool is a self-contained classroom which is led by the special education teacher. Students in this classroom have more significant needs but have additional adult support to meet those needs. The preschool curriculum highlights hands- on and discovery-based learning. The garden would concretely illustrate the principles of life science, what is needed for life in a garden, as well as exposing children to the insects and birds that help with gardening. Every child will support the garden in a meaning full way, through planting, maintaining, watering and harvesting the products of the garden. Produce not consumed by the preschool will be donated to the school and/or to a community food bank garden is important as we look for meaningful ways to teach children outside the traditional classroom.