Articles
Cultivating resilience: scaling up a native plant gardening program in a post-pandemic high school
Article number
1459_2
Pages
9 – 18
Language
English
Abstract
California high schools are grappling with an adolescent mental health crisis, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the pervasive influence of social media.
This crisis manifests in increased rates of depression, anxiety, and substance use, disrupting academic growth and altering socialization patterns.
Our Los Angeles metropolitan area high school, serving a predominantly Latinx and Asian population from low-income and immigrant backgrounds, including students with special needs and English language learners, is no exception.
To address this crisis, we scaled up our classroom-based native plant gardening program in the summer of 2022 as the benefits students experience through gardening are well-documented in environmental psychology, horticultural/occupational therapy, and urban education research.
With nearly four hundred participating students, we will explore themes of empowering teen populations, implementing strategies for team building, fostering collaboration and trust, and creating opportunities for ownership and agency.
Student perceptions of their experiences will be discussed, underscoring the social-emotional benefits they experienced in light of their post-pandemic perspectives, needs, and personal growth.
Our work highlights the transformative potential of school gardening programs in cultivating resilience and addressing the mental health challenges faced by adolescents in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This paper offers insights and strategies for educators seeking to implement similar initiatives in their own school communities.
This crisis manifests in increased rates of depression, anxiety, and substance use, disrupting academic growth and altering socialization patterns.
Our Los Angeles metropolitan area high school, serving a predominantly Latinx and Asian population from low-income and immigrant backgrounds, including students with special needs and English language learners, is no exception.
To address this crisis, we scaled up our classroom-based native plant gardening program in the summer of 2022 as the benefits students experience through gardening are well-documented in environmental psychology, horticultural/occupational therapy, and urban education research.
With nearly four hundred participating students, we will explore themes of empowering teen populations, implementing strategies for team building, fostering collaboration and trust, and creating opportunities for ownership and agency.
Student perceptions of their experiences will be discussed, underscoring the social-emotional benefits they experienced in light of their post-pandemic perspectives, needs, and personal growth.
Our work highlights the transformative potential of school gardening programs in cultivating resilience and addressing the mental health challenges faced by adolescents in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This paper offers insights and strategies for educators seeking to implement similar initiatives in their own school communities.
Publication
Authors
A. Lofthouse Quesada
Keywords
resilience, urban education, pandemic recovery, adolescent well-being, horticultural education, school gardens, social-emotional learning, environmental design, horticultural therapy
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