The New Face of Art History

While interest in sustainability, organic gardening and agricultural literacy continue to gain momentum, new opportunities to break out of the box are springing up everywhere.  Recent research is finding that students are spending more time learning through enrichment opportunities at child service centers, preschools, and before and after school care than they are enrolled in traditional academic settings.  Yes, schools are addressing the curriculum frameworks during the school day but the new data is revealing that children spend more time at enrichment and day care centers than they spend in the classroom. This in turn is expanding the role and influence that child care providers are able to offer.

I'm excited to see youth organizations taking advantage of the opportunity to expand students' exposure to world history, ecological understanding and applied academic disciplines.  One such example can be seen through a recent project at a local day camp.  Students are enjoying the lessons in horticulture, fine art, world history and historic preservation as they design and build their own interpretation of the Lost Gardens of Heligan.  Bringing academic studies to life combines the thrill of 3-d modeling with a practical understanding of the amount of effort required to inspire and assemble the unique treasures civilizations construct.   The power of green over screen is emphasized as the interpretive reconstruction of Mud Maid packs a punch that leaves art history and horticultural slides looking flat in comparison to getting down and dirty.

Kudos to those facilities that highlight the value of agriculture in the classroom as well as the classroom in agriculture.  The future farmers of America never had it so good!