Transformations at Blue & Silver outdoor education, leadership
Blue & Silver Farm, home of outdoor education at Pickering College, is being transformed with ongoing changes to enhance experiential learning opportunities for students. The approximately 75 acres of land located in the nearby town of Whitchurch-Stouffville is owned by Pickering College and was a gift from the late Charles F. Boyd, a past teacher of 53 years, alumni ambassador and beloved member of the community. It serves not only as a home for agricultural and outdoor education, but with several recent innovations, the farm provides leadership opportunities, hands-on activities, and interactive lessons for all grades. The transformation began in the spring with the launch of the learning garden, where Middle School students planted the first crop of potatoes and beans. Over the course of the summer and fall, the produce was harvested and donated to local food organizations in our community. The learning garden is currently a small plot on the land, but work is underway to expand it across the entire front paddock, a project that will involve every grade in the school. Updates continued over the summer, with day campers going out twice a week to engage in various farm-to-table activities. This served as a pilot for the school year when this program was scaled up. Generous donations to the farm enabled the installation of six camping platforms and canvas tents to allow overnight activities for Pickering College students, further opening access to the farm for evening programs. The platforms were installed at the end of the summer and each one can accommodate between eight and 10 individuals. Our Grade 5 class was the first group to use them during a special trip to Blue & Silver Farm. As the inaugural overnight group, the
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