Harding Academy offers a Horticulture science elective for both their middle and upper school students.  If students choose it, teacher Tim Stafford invites them to live into the classroom Storyline of #WorktheDirt.  

Tim’s Deep Hope is that students will learn to preserve the integrity of their bodies and God’s Earth by how and what they eat.

Tim emphasizes Joy-Filled Collaborating as each student plans, purchases, prepares, serves, and eats a well-balanced, locally sourced meal for themself and two friends. Tim says,

"I wanted the project to be fun. The more enjoyable meal prep is, the more often people will do it, and the healthier they will be. For most, though not all, actually working over a stove was a new experience. Enjoyment is hard to quantify. Everybody smiles in pictures, but my sense is that during the process, their examining of recipes, trial and errors of meal preparation, and the talk around the table resulted in genuine fun."

As Tim identifies in his essential learning targets, it is a learning story that invites and restores the grace of meal-sharing that God intended for table fellowship.

A more in depth look at the Learning Targets, Throughlines, and curricular outcomes that outlined this project can be found in Tim's PowerPoint, attached below.