Albuquerque Public Schools
Student-Led Garden Grows Learning
John Adams Middle School's outdoor classroom connects science, math and teamwork through hands-on experiences.
The John Adams Middle School garden is blooming in a big way!
This student-led program, supervised by MESA instructor Dennis Linton and Dr. James Platt, has transformed the garden into an outdoor science classroom featuring fruit trees, vegetables and flowers. Now in its second successful year, the program continues to grow as students take an active role in maintaining and expanding the space.
Community support has played an important part in the garden’s success. Lowe’s Home Improvement donated a shade structure that provides a comfortable work area for students. Walmart contributed seed packets, The Home Depot provided plants and garden tools and Baca’s Trees donated wood chips used for weed control and defining garden paths.
The garden supports classroom learning in meaningful ways. Students study pollination by learning the parts of a flower and observing bees as they collect pollen and nectar. A pollination garden with perennials has also been developed to support this work.
New this year are three raised beds divided into 2-by-2-foot plots. Each student selects seeds from a seed library, plants them and takes responsibility for their plot. These individual spaces provide opportunities to explore concepts like photosynthesis while building ownership and responsibility.
The main garden includes a mix of flowers and vegetables, giving students additional opportunities to apply math skills such as measuring spacing and planting depth based on seed packet instructions.
Maintaining the garden also requires hands-on work, including watering, weeding and spreading wood chips. Through it all, students have shown strong engagement and a willingness to contribute to the garden’s success.
Educators say it has been rewarding to see students take pride in their work, and they are already looking forward to continuing the program next year.
About APS Community Schools
With almost 70 Community Schools across the district, APS and the ABC Community School Partnership are building a network of schools that serve as community hubs. By weaving together rigorous classroom instruction, expanded learning opportunities, integrated support systems, and the voices of families and students in decision-making, these schools create conditions where every child can learn, grow and thrive.