Sowing the Seeds of Experiential Learning: Perspectives on the Creation of a High School Gardening Class in the Halifax Regional Municipality

Abstract

This study uses a Grounded Theory framework to explore the opportunities and barriers of integrating an elective gardening class into the curriculum for high school students in the Halifax Regional Municipality. Four community garden workers participated as key informants in this research. They shared their perspectives on the benefits and detriments of school gardens and how a gardening class could be structured. The conclusion of this study is that the participants believe that the implementation of a high school gardening program would be beneficial to the students, schools and community. The next step for this research is to explore the students’ perceptions of a gardening class to determine whether it would be a worthwhile program that they are interested in.