Much like the students who participate in it, the La Jolla Elementary School gardening program is growing.
The program aims to teach the full life cycle of plants — from seed to growth to harvest, along with composting and healthy soil.
With a specific focus on composting this school year, parent volunteer and program leader Kira Higgins secured $1,000 in grants from the Master Gardener Association of San Diego County and The Village Garden Club of La Jolla to buy compost bins and a composting tumbler for the school. She also purchased other compost-related items to complement the lessons.
“The kids seem more excited to be more hands-on because we have more tools than we did last year,” Higgins said. “So they are getting a lot more dirty. They seem to really enjoy getting out there and working in the garden.”
The different grade-appropriate lessons are taught monthly and are led by parent volunteers. Subjects have included the life cycle of worms that help turn organic waste into compost, the ratio of dry brown items alternating with organic waste to promote composting, weekly weeding in the garden to find materials that might help the organic waste decompose, looking at specimens under a microscope, practicing turning the compost tumbler and more.
La Jolla Elementary School students practice using a composting tumbler as part of the school’s gardening program. (Provided by Kira Higgins)
Higgins also is looking to buy thermometers so the students can explore how heat is created during the decomposition process.
“Composting provides healthy soil for us. You don’t have to transport it in, and it teaches the kids about decomposition,” Higgins said. “It’s important that kids can see that we can bring nature to us. … Even if they have a little pot, they can have a little garden. I think it’s important they find nature in many places.
“If they learn about these things now, it becomes a habit and it becomes easy to want to take care of the Earth. If kids build a relationship and connection to nature now and fall in love [with it] now, they will want to preserve it for the future. There is so much less nature available to kids.”
La Jolla Elementary School students gather organic material to look at under a microscope. (Provided by Kira Higgins)
Before the program got started, the school already had some garden beds but only one parent volunteer to run the program. Leading up to the school year in 2024, a committee of six parent volunteers, including Higgins, formed, drafted lesson plans and got irrigation installed to help maintain 18 beds across 24 classrooms and seek grants to help improve the program.
Digging in: La Jolla Elementary expands gardening program for students
During last school year’s lessons, the gardening program provided hands-on experience for all its students, as well as a lesson series called “Exploring 5 Things Plants Need to Grow” (air and light, nutrients, water, space to grow and love) with age-appropriate exercises and other activities.
Now, Higgins has more than 20 other parent volunteers teaching lessons in the children’s classrooms.
Currently, some classes share a garden bed, but Higgins said fundraising will begin soon to get a garden bed for each classroom.
Building on the budding interest, students, parents and other volunteers planted a couple of dozen fruit trees in May on a hillside on the La Jolla Elementary campus to create a miniature orchard. Apple, peach, plum, apricot, pomegranate, fig, avocado and orange trees were planted during the effort, led by master gardener and LJES parent Jennifer Giaconi. ♦
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