Intergenerational Landed Learning


	2002-2004

	The Intergenerational Landed Learning on the Farm Project began in 2002 with one teacher, a class of 18 students, and seven community elders with farming and gardening backgrounds who became "Farm Friends".
			Each farm elder was partnered with three students to form six “farm friend teams.” Between January and June, the students visited the farm to meet and work with their farm friends on thirteen occasions. The teams cultivated the soil, grew plants and discussed different environmental and scientific issues that related to farming and gardening. The students also interviewed their elderly farm friends about farming practices and their history and lives on the land.

			Over the course of the project, the students maintained a journal documenting their farming activities. Small scientific (“controlled”) experiments were planned and carried out. These were also documented in the students’ journals. At the close of the project each June, students gave class presentations using PowerPoint, to visually represent their experiences on the farm, and what they had learned about the environment, planting, farming practices and living with the land, from conducting experiments and working with their farm friends.

	2004-2005

	The Intergenerational Landed Learning Project has expanded. In 2004-05, ninety children in grades five to seven from two Vancouver elementary schools took part in the project. A program also ran for 18 home schooled children and their parents. In August 2005, two one-week summer camps for children were begun and enrolled 21 children.

			Research in this year investigated similarities and differences in the community farming experience for girls and boys, and the way their perspectives about and care for the environment might be influenced and expressed differently. We continued to study the exchange of knowledge and learning that occurs across the generations when young children and community adults work together in growing food crops. And, we continued to investigate and define the essential elements in designing and implementing an educational gardening project that can develop care for and an interconnected perspective with the environment.

	2005-2006

	Our program and research continues. For 2006 we are examining how place-based, environmental education is experienced by teachers and investigating the potential of a farm-to-school curriculum to bring an educational gardening project into the classroom experience to foster care for and an interconnected perspective with the environment. We continue to work with ninety students in grades four to six from two Vancouver elementary schools.

	2006-2007

	We are in the Year 5 of the Landed Learning Project. We continue to work with ninety students in grades four to seven from three Vancouver elementary schools.


	2007-2008

	We are in the Year 6 of the Landed Learning Project. We continue to work with ninety students in grades four to six from three Vancouver elementary schools. We also inivited graduate students of the University of British columbia to serve as Farm Friends. Now teach Farm Friend team has at least two Farm Friends - a retired local farmer and a graduate student from UBC.

	2008-2009

	Year 7 of the Landed Learning Project. We are glad to welcome back our three very devoted teachers and their three new classes of grade four- five students from three Vancouver elementary schools. This year, we are working more closely with parents as well, who are invited to participate in the project through Family Days as the UBC farm.

	On Thursday April 30, the Intergenerational Landed Learning Project at UBC Farm received a BC Hydro Community Champions Award. Students from Tyee Elementary School nominated the program and were at the farm for the occassion.