An urban farm in the heart of Halifax is giving immigrant students an opportunity to learn English in an outdoor classroom.
“It’s really rewarding to work with my newcomers and see that the community is wrapping around them and making them feel welcome,” said Rima Majaess, the English as a second language teacher at Citadel High School.
Almost two dozen of Majaess’s students have been coming to Common Roots Urban Farm and working with Jayme Melrose, the farm’s project co-ordinator, to grow their own garden.
“The kids are coming once a week to help out and be involved. It’s great because so many of them have a farming background,” Melrose said.
The urban farm opened up in 2012 on the former site of Queen Elizabeth High School.
Part of the produce grown by the students is donated to the food bank.
The rest of it is sold at the farm’s stand and the funds are used for materials and farm supplies.
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Connecting the students to an outdoor learning environment is an activity that Citadel High principal Wade Smith feels will give the teenagers a sense of belonging.
“When students come from away they want to belong to something so first and foremost it’s important that they feel like they belong to our school. Secondly with projects like this, we get them out in the community and they get a feel for the city,” said Smith.
Majaess says the project has brought a lot of joy to refugee teenagers who haven’t had an easy road.
“They love Canada, they understand that they are here to have another chance and they are really thankful,” said Majaess.
Although the school year is getting close to finishing, the students will be able to work in their plots for the remainder of the farming season.
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