Urban Farm Open Day 2022 by Kaikorai Valley College
Our Grantees - Kaikorai Valley College Urban Farm
Otago Community Trust — October 31, 2022
In recent years Kaikorai Valley College has developed its own Urban Farm on land at the back of the school. This is a unique and outstanding learning environment that has become a valuable and popular part of the Kaikorai Valley College learning experience and that of other visiting schools. Kaikorai Valley College's Urban Farm programme was one Otago Community Trust’s Learning Impact Fund recipents back in 2018. A grant of $142,300 was approved to support the programme at that point in time. Over the last four years it has continued to develop and evolve to support learning differently.
Dr Simon McMillan KVC Urban Farm Teacher explains that the College wanted to challenge mind-sets about how education can happen for our young people and how humans interact with the environment. Kaikorai Valley College (KVC) Urban Farm is all about learning differently.
"Our learning is focused on Science and Technology in Sustainable Agriculture. However, we also apply a broader cross-curricula approach wherever possible."
"We want students to have opportunities to learn in a more applied and collaborative way to help build understanding and mutual respect and self-worth."
Students are also often less stressed at the farm, they enjoy being with friends and are able to release their energy. While caring for horses, calves, lambs, chickens, bees, freshwater fish, eels and invertebrates students have developed their leadership skills and learn to take responsibility for their actions.
At the urban farm, students have built almost all the structures. They gain maths, science and technical skills when building a seat, raised beds, or compost bins. Students are often given different materials and then given free range to invent something.
The below photo illustrates this in action, with a group of Year 12 students who had to build a structure that would hold up netting over the blackcurrant bushes.
"This is a great example of what is called collaborative learning - a task is set where people have to work together and create to produce an outcome that is not clearly defined: a 'structure' is very general."
Part of what Kaikorai Valley College Urban Farm has done incredibly well is develop and grow links to others both in the community but across the education sector.
The Urban Farm is a focal point in strengthening community resilience to grow food; building networking partnerships for mutual support across the education sector; creating foundation to careers opportunities and to help bridge the divide between rural and urban communities.
Open Day Opportunity
Kaikorai Valley College Urban Farm will host an open day on November 19th from 10.00 to 2.00pm.
This is a wonderful opportunity to take a stroll around and learn more about the Urban Farm plus purchase some home grown produce.
If you wish to follow the wonderful learning experiences of the KVC Urban Farm you can do so via their Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/urbanconceptfarmKVC
