The Spartan Garden provides an easily accessible outdoor learning resource, where classroom connections can be made to multiple disciplines. The Healthy Youth Program’s garden educators work with CHS students and teachers to make these connections. Below is a list of some of the CHS student projects in the garden:

  • Kevin Skillings' woodworking students built the vegetable washing sinks and two of the main garden sheds;
  • Brian Wake's horticulture students participated in the development of the Spartan Garden by creating beds, weeding, mulching, and planting.  They experimented with cover crops, learned about soil properties, and tested growing media with visits from a Healthy Youth Program garden educator;
  • Britten Clark-Huyck's Botany students continue to explore cover crops and soil properties in the garden, as well as growing plant starts;
  • Julia Lont's art student designed and constructed the "Spartan Garden" sign - the carrot that hangs over the entrance;
  • Julia Lont's art classes used pumpkins and other garden produce to create a still life art project;
  • Julie Williams' sustainability classes have done various projects in the garden including using spinach, beets, strawberries, and pumpkins from the garden to make delicious Pumpkin Pie, Cucumber-Pear, and It’s Easy Being Green smoothies and juices to share with the rest of CHS during morning break;
  • Kristen Hackethorn's senior foods students harvested fresh produce to make a capresse salad, and tasted three dishes prepared from different squash varieties grown in the garden; 
  • Christa Schmeder's ceramics students created hand-crafted tiles used to cover the cooking tables at the garden;
  • Amy Knoke's world literature students participated in a service learning project in the garden;
  • English Language Development students learned about gardening as a hobby and working outdoors as a career choice.

Career-Related Learning 

The Spartan Garden also provides students with opportunities for Service Learning, to fulfill their Career Shadow Experience and Extended Application requirements, and to earn credit for Internships and Structured Work Experience. Please contact the Healthy Youth Program if you are interested in incorporating the Spartan Garden into any of your required career-related learning experiences at CHS!

up