Lake View Students to Dig New Gardening STEAM Lessons

Students at Lake View Elementary, the Ocean View School District’s STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) school, are going to dig the new hands-on learning opportunities provided by a $1,500 grant from Western Growers. Lake View Principal Jamie Goodwyn recently learned that her school is one of only 13 in California to receive the grant, which will support a brand new school garden and provide students with interactive STEAM/STEM gardening activities and lessons.

“Our 4th grade students in Mrs. Salas-Yoshii’s class are spearheading the research, development and budgeting for this amazing grant,” said Principal Goodwyn. “We’re enthusiastic about installing an innovative, sustainable garden in which the students will explore and engineer all components of planting, growing and harvesting.”

Grant recipients, like Lake View Elementary, do not yet have gardens, so funding will plant the seeds for these growing learning spaces. According to Tom Nassif, President and CEO of Western Growers, he hopes that these gardens “will help children see the connections” in STEAM subjects and farming, inspire them to pursue advanced degrees, and apply their knowledge to highly-skilled careers in the agricultural industry in the future.

Among the lessons Lake View students will explore are the science of how seeds become salads, the technology available to enhance plant growth, the engineering behind farm equipment, and the math to calculate how much water is needed for optimal yield.