Through the W5 project, preschoolers from La Saumonière school of the city of Donnacona, located in the region of Quebec, Canada, had the chance to build a school garden and learn how to grow their own fruits and vegetables.

As the school courtyard was planned to be redesigned by spring, the teachers thought it would be a great opportunity to add a garden section and different fruit trees. By making these new outdoor spaces, they wanted the children to learn how to grow fruits and vegetables and to understand the importance of taking care of their environment. It was also an opportunity to teach them basic concepts connected to ecosystems and biodiversity through hands-on activities.

First, a presentation of the project was made to the school board and a few meetings about the redesigning were held. The teachers then researched materials and developed a plan together with parents and Alcoa volunteers. Even before the garden was ready, the teachers introduced the children to gardening concepts and helped them grow plant seedlings.

“I’m really excited about making the school courtyard greener! I can already see the children very interested about the growth of their plants and coming to me during the break to tell me about it! They will see that they can make an impact through their consumption and will understand how important it is to avoid food waste. “ - Mélanie D’Anjou, La Saumonière school.

Through this project, the school hopes to strengthen their collaboration with the local community by offering part of their harvest to community members who, in return, can help take care of the garden during school vacations.

Thanks to W5, the children were introduced to concepts of responsible consumption and production and have improved their healthy eating habits. Moreover, the children have benefited a lot from working in small groups to build something useful for the community. The school also saw this as an opportunity to integrate more environmental topics into their curriculum, including food provenance and plant growing.

The Alcoa W5 project activities at Curé-Brassard school support the following SDGs: