School of Arts and Sciences

3208 Thomasville Road, Tallahassee, FL 32312

Having read the Charter for SAS, we knew before we approached them that their administration and staff was committed to hands-on, project-based education. In the Fall of 2000, we worked with all the K-8 classes to build lime-rock walls and plant two gardens. Students and staff were so pleased with these gardens that the administration allowed their Special Area teacher, Donna Wooland, to work with the children in the garden for 18 hours a week. In 2001, we expanded the garden, terracing a hillside and adding herb and flower gardens along the walkways. In addition to planting, harvesting, and cooking, we made paper, herbal sachets, and seed savers out of matchboxes with the students. In March 2002, the garden won First Place in a statewide school garden competition sponsored by EPCOT and The University of Florida.

Since then, SAS has installed a greenhouse with help from Small Farmers program at FAMU to start their own seedlings and learn even more from the amazing lessons of nature.