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Port Arthur Memorial High School students learn new life skills by planting garden

The original groundbreaking was scheduled for April of 2020, but the pandemic delayed the project.

PORT ARTHUR, Texas — Students at Memorial High School in Port Arthur are planting seeds and redefining what functional learning is.

The students came together to build a school garden. The original groundbreaking was scheduled for April of 2020, but the pandemic delayed the project.

Students broke ground in March of this year and started planting away.

The garden offers plenty of lessons on life.

“We learn about things in a book, through conversations and videos, but it only gets you so far,” said special education teacher Michael Oliver.

This garden has introduced Memorial High School students to a pot full of life skills.

“You really need to get out into it and be tactile and kinesthetic,” Oliver said.

He received a $5,000 grant to build a garden on campus.

“We'll be able to come out here and learn about how they pollinate how they grow, how they germinate, and how roots systems,” Oliver said.

This garden eventually turned into a collaborative effort between two classes.

“Mr. Berdoza was brought to me by Dr. Leva said that she was interested in doing a garden,” Oliver said.


“Now we get to actually be a part of something that we can leave behind for future generations,” said LIynn Berdoza, the teacher of environmental systems and biology.

Students in life skills and environmental systems and biology classes are digging deep into the soil to understand how a garden works.

“It's one big science experiment. So like it's like gardening is not perfect,” Berdoza said.

Even with a not-so-perfect task, students are reaping the fruits of their labor.

According to the National Gardening Association, 42% of Americans are now growing their own food. And children who help grow the produce are more likely to eat it.

Aside from learning the ins and outs of a garden, students are planting meaningful connections.

“We have students who are able to help other kids do things that our kids maybe not are capable of doing,” Oliver said.

They’re also learning it's OK to try again, one seed at a time.

“If you kill the plant. It's okay. Try again next time. And that's part of gardening is learning from your failures,” Berdoza said.

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