Meriwether Lewis Elementary School

Lewis Garden Program

The Lewis Outdoor Education Center provides students the opportunity to learn about water conservation, gardening, native plants, and composting. The Outdoor Center includes an outdoor classroom, a greenhouse, four raised beds, rain barrels, a cob bench and apple trees. Lewis partnered with the Building Village Convergence and Portland State University to build an outdoor classroom space covered by an ecoroof. Classes K-5 take part in the Learning Gardens.

Lewis Learning Gardens curriculum encompasses planting, growing, harvesting, and preparing of foods. Grades K-5 learn about various topics such as seed saving, herbs, organic gardening, and growing starts.

Lewis Gardening Summer Camp focuses on harvesting, preparing, and eating foods from the garden as well as talking about the nutritional value of plants in our diet.

There are numerous community partnerships that make the environmental education program possible. An Americorp volunteer establishes and teaches the environmental programs for the Outdoor Center and the Learning Gardens. The Americorp representative also manages new garden projects, teaches the summer gardening camp, and coordinates volunteer efforts such as Earth Day, the 3rd grade Going Green Team for composting lunches, and the Tray Washing program. Lewis also involves Portland’s Metro educators to present puppet shows to K-2 and talks to 3-5 focused on recycling and the health of our planet.