Last Call

Andrea Cameron, Forest Grove teacher and community gardener

Sarah Connell Sanders

Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Andrea Cameron spent the last year developing a flexible curriculum for the Community Teaching Garden and Literacy Project. Woodward Day School has already begun to use elements of the curriculum and Forest Grove Middle School, where Cameron teaches, will launch this project as an afterschool club when COVID-19 protocols allow for it.

How long have you been in Worcester?

I grew up in Worcester over by St. Peter Marion. Now, I own a house in the Indian Lake neighborhood. I bought it about seven years ago. I work at Forest Grove, which is right down the hill from the lake. I met Carl Gomes two summers ago. He had an end-of-the-summer neighborhood block party. When I met him, he started talking about his vision for a community garden. I shared with him that I worked at Forest Grove and I loved his idea. Shortly after, I began working with him on a curriculum that we could use for the garden.

Has your timeline been delayed at all because of COVID?

The pandemic has affected things. Originally, at the end of last year, we were starting a gardening club at Forest Grove. It was all set to get started in May. We were recruiting kids. There was money for resources regarding tools. Even though the garden itself is in the Indian Lake neighborhood, we were going to start using the curriculum and getting kids into gardening at the school. Then, obviously, the school closed down and we never got to fulfill that goal. We're all going back to school in a week and we'll be hybrid. At the end of May, kids might be back full time. I don't know what we're going to be able to do in terms of clubs or if we can even have after-school clubs. I think we're kind of hoping that we can at least start this in the fall when the new school year begins and have kids eventually meeting up in the Indian Lake Community Garden.

What are your objectives moving forward?

The Community Teaching Garden and Literacy Project is a community resource that will help students to learn about food justice, climate change, and encourage environmental stewardship. Students will learn about topics such as garden safety, plant care, soil, greenhouses, food justice, climate change, and they will even have the opportunity to explore related careers in these areas. The project will incorporate elements of science, social justice, literacy, and even art.

Did you write the curriculum all by yourself?

I worked with Eliza Lawrence, who is the school gardens manager at the Regional Environmental Council.

We’re so lucky to have Eliza in Worcester.

Yes, she’s wonderful and we also worked with Marissa Gallant, the Youth Education Manager at Tower Hill Botanic Garden.

How long have you been a teacher?

This is my 14th year teaching. I went to school for education at Anna Maria College and I started teaching at age 22 at Southbridge High School. After I got my master's degree, I came to Worcester. I taught at North High for four years and I've been at Forest Grove ever since.

Do you have any big asks for the community?

We're actually looking for a garden manager for the community garden. Obviously, kids are going to be working in the garden, but school isn't in session in the summer and some of the garden beds are going to be run by the members of the community. If anyone is interested in that position, they can contact Carl Gomes. The Indian Lake Community Association is sponsoring the garden. They're going to be paying for the water and the maintenance. Any donations can be made to them as well if anyone or any companies want to be corporate sponsors.

Have you always been into gardening?

I'm actually new to gardening. I'm an English teacher. I don't have a background in science, so I've been learning a lot about gardening from writing this curriculum. I think what I mostly want my kids to know is that you don't have to be an expert to start a garden. You can learn these things through trial and error and anyone can grow food.

What are your long-term goals for this project?

I know that one of the big visions that Carl has is that he wants to make this garden a place to teach kids how to be global citizens. One of the things that the garden is going to focus on is climate change and food justice. The curriculum is also aiming to be crosscurricular. So, there are elements of science, literacy, and art. I think he wants to really just draw people in, connect people, and teach them about bigger issues that affect the globe. He has a relationship with another community garden in Kenya, and he really wants to connect the Indian Lake Community Garden with the one in Kenya and have the kids communicating with each other and learning about how it's different to grow food there versus here. Like, how they get their water versus how we get our water.

Andrea Cameron stands on site the Indian Lake Community Association Community Teaching Garden on West Boylston Drive in Worcester. DYLAN AZARI