"I’m doing this for myself now, not just for the garden": Youth perspectives on learning pathways from urban agriculture

Abstract

When youth connect what they learn in a classroom or program to other areas of their lives, they have stronger learning outcomes. However, the perspective of youth on their own learning outcomes and connections remains largely unexplored. This case study explores the connections high school youth created between what they learned in a garden-based learning program to other spaces. Understanding these learning pathways that youth develop using the resources and contexts available to them will support educators in creating responsive and relevant garden-based programs for youth. This qualitative study used photovoice to understand youth perspective on their own learning pathways through photographs they took, and interviews based on those photographs. Three themes emerged when analyzing the learning pathways using thematic coding: applied learning, sense of belonging, and healthy living. Take-home resources provided by the program, varying social contexts, and resources provided in different spaces equip youth with the tools they need to create learning pathways from the garden to different spaces in their everyday lives. These findings provide implications for developing garden-based learning programs for high school youth that provide them with the tools they need to connect their learning from the garden to spaces in their everyday lives.