At Trabuco Elementary School, the classroom extends far beyond the traditional four walls.
OCDE’s Media Services team recently met with Trabuco Elementary Principal Dr. Lindsey Gatfield, who explained how incorporating a small yet fully operational farm led to her school winning the prestigious Green Ribbon. Each year, the award is given to only the top schools in California for their environmental excellence.
“Having the farm, having these outdoor gardens and different environments help us to make the learning hands-on for students, so it’s not just something that they’re hearing about, they’re actually experiencing it,” Gatfield said.
The farm is also available to other schools in nearby school districts for field trips. Students get the opportunity to tend to gardens and care for a variety of animals, including pigs, chicken and sheep to name a few.
This allows students who generally live in urban settings to learn about their surrounding environment and why it’s so important to preserve it. The hope is that they will learn to apply the environmentally friendly principles they pick up at the farm in their everyday lives.
To learn more about the farm and hear from students as well, check out the video above.