A community garden by students, for students at Canadian International School

Can you tell that this lush community garden at CIS used to be an empty rooftop? The amazing transformation is all thanks to the hard work of their secondary students, alongside staff and parent volunteers. In this outdoor learning space, students will get to explore and apply learning in a hands-on environment, while developing resilience and problem solving skills as they continue to grow the garden.

This project all began when a grade 8 team decided to make a positive change in the school community after learning about climate change during an interdisciplinary unit. Once their design was complete, other students volunteered their breaks to help realise their vision.

Under the guidance of teachers and a team of experts from Corridor Farmers, some put their new landscaping knowledge to work while others contributed their diverse skills. For instance, Annabel C, grade 11, leveraged her passion in carpentry and built a trough that made transporting soil more efficient.

Grade 8 student Mihika, who documented the garden’s progress as part of the media team, shared some challenges they faced; “Sometimes, it rains really hard and the plants get 

over-watered, and we have to cancel the sessions. Sometimes, it's so hot that it gets hard to work in the sun!”

With perseverance and teamwork, the students succeeded in bringing the garden to life. Even so, their journey has only just started. They will soon plan to harvest the fruits of their labour, collaborate with local organisations, and support the wider community beyond CIS.

If you would like to learn more about CIS’ curriculum and programmes, visit their website: www.cis.edu.sg