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A group of students from Douglas Middle School, with the help of members of the Ground Works-Midwest group, build garden beds for classroom use.
Douglas Middle School seventh-grader Macie Donovan uses a power drill to secure boards while helping build the garden beds in the back of Douglas Middle School.
Douglas seventh-grader Dalton Amaral uses the drill to secure the top board of the garden bed as Kevin McChesney with Ground Works-Midwest holds the other end of the board. Five garden beds were built and installed behind Douglas Middle School on Friday in Box Elder.
Ground Works-Midwest, a regional nonprofit located in Sioux Falls, specializes in school teaching gardens.
Students from Douglas Middle School help build the garden beds behind the school on Friday.
Students from Douglas Middle School and Ground Works-Midwest help build the garden beds behind the school on Friday.
Students in sixth, seventh and eighth grade helped Ground Works-Midwest build the five garden beds behind the school on Friday.
The garden beds were installed in the lot behind the middle school on Friday in Box Elder.
The garden beds were installed in the lot behind the middle school on Friday in Box Elder.
Students in sixth, seventh and eighth grade helped Ground Works-Midwest build the five garden beds behind the school on Friday.
The garden beds were installed in the lot behind the middle school on Friday in Box Elder.
The garden beds were installed in the lot behind the middle school on Friday in Box Elder.
Students from Douglas Middle School and Ground Works-Midwest help build the garden beds behind the school on Friday.
The garden beds were installed in the lot behind the middle school on Friday in Box Elder.
Students from Douglas Middle School and Ground Works-Midwest help build the garden beds behind the school on Friday.
The garden beds were installed in the lot behind the middle school on Friday in Box Elder.
Students from Douglas Middle School and Ground Works-Midwest help build the garden beds behind the school on Friday.
Students from Douglas Middle School help build the garden beds behind the school on Friday.
BOX ELDER — The roar of power tools and chatter of eager middle-schoolers mingled with a sprinkling of rain Friday afternoon, as Douglas Middle School in Box Elder became the first West River site of Ground Works-Midwest’s teaching garden program.
About a dozen students teamed up with Ground Works staff, board members, school staff and volunteers to build, place and fill five 4’x10’x24’ garden beds at the school Friday. Chilled air and a light drizzle didn’t stop students from hauling planks of wood, wielding power tools, steadying screws and hauling the constructed beds from the parking lot to their grassy destinations.
The five beds at the school join hundreds of teaching gardens scattered across East River. Tim Olsen, Ground Works-Midwest executive director and co-founder, said he is thrilled to bring them west.
Teaching gardens aim to provide students with innovative, educational resources and hands-on experience. The goal is to bring lessons learned in the classroom outdoors to a living laboratory to enhance student learning in STEAM and agriculture education.
Kevin Militello, a life science teacher at Douglas Middle School, was the driving force behind bringing the garden to Douglas. From his first inquiry through months of planning and setup, he was visibly emotional seeing the vision come to fruition Friday.
But he'd tell you it's all about the students.
He said he’s excited to give them something to do — to incorporate hands-on experience in science, allowing students to plant and harvest the garden. Friday, he got to watch them bring it to life.
“I'm proud of Kevin for taking the initiative to find ways to engage kids at all different levels,” said Douglas School District Superintendent Kevin Case. “He seeks out tons of opportunities — to find grants and find ways to engage our kids in meaningful learning activities.”
Friday’s project was a culmination of support and collaboration across multiple entities and miles.
Ground Works-Midwest is a regional nonprofit based in Sioux Falls that specializes in teaching gardens. Nielsen Dirtworks of Rapid City provided the soil. Minnehaha Master Gardener Steve Sikorski lent his expertise to the building plans and garden bed design. Knecht Home Center in Rapid City donated supplies and equipment and Northrop Grumman was a principal funding source.
All the efforts came together for one reason: the students.
Contagious enthusiasm bounced between kids as they waited in line to use the drill or help lift something heavy. Some of the seventh-grade students had experience with gardens and some were excited to try something new.
Ryan Dreier said she’s excited to see something she planted herself grow.
“I just love gardening,” she said, having grown up with a garden in her backyard. Some of her favorite garden vegetables are zucchini, pepper and tomatoes.
Lola Hall said her family tried their hand at a garden once upon a time, but never quite finished it. Now she’s excited to see one all the way through.
Ariana Ducheneaux has never gardened before. She's excited to try something new.
Robert Nelson thinks he might want to live on a farm one day. Hall said she’d like to work at a flower shop.
Anastasia Lewison said she’s gardened before, but it “didn’t end well.” She’s confident this time around will be different, because she’ll have a lot of help. Ashlynn Ogier wants to plant a giant pumpkin.
Olsen said one of the most exciting elements of the teaching gardens is the students’ ownership.
“A sense of — this is our garden,” he said. “Growing something that they can actually eat.”
He said he sees a switch in students, from thinking the garden is the school’s garden, to considering it their own.
The gardens also tie science to the soil, Olsen said. Militello sees the garden as an opportunity to bring lesson plans to life, and bring the students hands-on experience.
Students will have 17 different themes to choose from for planting, with a curriculum wrapped around each theme, Olsen said. His hope for the garden is to bring students a sense of what it means to be healthy, what it means to grow something and to see the fruits of their own labor.
While the school has a leadership team, Ground Works-Midwest will continue to provide support, lessons and ongoing technical support.
“Look at you go. You got this,” Militello encouraged Friday, as he watched his students actively embrace a project they can say they’ve owned from the beginning.
From constructing the beds with drills and screws, to hauling the soil and planting the seeds — their mark is all over it.
Whether the garden beds result in a future in agriculture, opening a flower shop or simply giving them something to do, the students’ excitement was written all over their faces and helping hands. Each student participated because they wanted to.
As cooler weather sets in, the students are already thinking about which vegetables like the cold and how to protect the soil — because it's theirs.
Douglas Middle School builds garden beds
–Contact Laura Heckmann at lheckmann@rapidcityjournal.com–
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A group of students from Douglas Middle School, with the help of members of the Ground Works-Midwest group, build garden beds for classroom use.
Douglas Middle School seventh-grader Macie Donovan uses a power drill to secure boards while helping build the garden beds in the back of Douglas Middle School.
Douglas seventh-grader Dalton Amaral uses the drill to secure the top board of the garden bed as Kevin McChesney with Ground Works-Midwest holds the other end of the board. Five garden beds were built and installed behind Douglas Middle School on Friday in Box Elder.
Ground Works-Midwest, a regional nonprofit located in Sioux Falls, specializes in school teaching gardens.
Students from Douglas Middle School help build the garden beds behind the school on Friday.
Students from Douglas Middle School and Ground Works-Midwest help build the garden beds behind the school on Friday.
Students in sixth, seventh and eighth grade helped Ground Works-Midwest build the five garden beds behind the school on Friday.
The garden beds were installed in the lot behind the middle school on Friday in Box Elder.
The garden beds were installed in the lot behind the middle school on Friday in Box Elder.
Students in sixth, seventh and eighth grade helped Ground Works-Midwest build the five garden beds behind the school on Friday.
The garden beds were installed in the lot behind the middle school on Friday in Box Elder.
The garden beds were installed in the lot behind the middle school on Friday in Box Elder.
Students from Douglas Middle School and Ground Works-Midwest help build the garden beds behind the school on Friday.
The garden beds were installed in the lot behind the middle school on Friday in Box Elder.
Students from Douglas Middle School and Ground Works-Midwest help build the garden beds behind the school on Friday.
The garden beds were installed in the lot behind the middle school on Friday in Box Elder.
Students from Douglas Middle School and Ground Works-Midwest help build the garden beds behind the school on Friday.
Students from Douglas Middle School help build the garden beds behind the school on Friday.
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