Resiliency Gardens for Ukrainian Refugees and IDPs

Summer's in full swing, and we're buzzing with excitement to share the continued success of our Resiliency Garden program in collaboration with local schools in Poland! This year marks another year of growth, not just in the gardens themselves, but also in the connections blossoming between Ukrainian refugees and their Polish neighbors.

The past few years have seen an incredible outpouring of support in Poland as they welcomed Ukrainian refugees fleeing war. Our Resiliency Garden program was born from a desire to bridge the gap between these two communities, fostering connection and a sense of belonging through the shared experience of gardening.

This year, we partnered with 10 schools in Rybniku and Kaputy, providing them with essential support, training, and resources to launch school gardening programs during the school year. Schools were selected in the fall/winter of 2023, and programs started at the beginning of 2024. From seed selection to harvest celebrations, these vibrant gardens became much more than just patches of soil. They transformed into classrooms without walls, fostering learning, cultural exchange, and the building of lasting relationships between Ukrainian refugee children and their Polish peers.

Learning that Sprouts Beyond the Classroom:

The impact of the program was, and is, undeniable. All 10 schools had a fantastic spring semester! Over 2,878 students were directly involved, actively participating in the garden programs integrated into the regular curriculum. Witnessing the joy on their faces as they nurtured seedlings, learned about plant life cycles, and harvested their bounty was truly heartwarming. Schools had varying curriculums based on school age, and programs ranged from targeting pre-school and kindergarten ages all the way up to secondary / high school teenage students. Some learned about pollinators and where our food comes from, and some learned about more technical issues like climate change and our impact on it, learning about things from CO2 circulation, complex ecological functions, waste and food composting, to food forests and green roofs, and more. Whether aged 5 of 15, all programs put a focus on nature-based and experiential learning as well as fostering connection with each other and with the plants themselves.

For the refugee children, these gardens became a safe haven. They provided a sense of normalcy, a space to connect with nature, and a chance to build friendships with their Polish classmates. The shared experience of caring for the gardens transcended language barriers, fostering a sense of belonging and community.

As summer unfolds and the gardens flourish further, we can't wait to share more updates on the program's progress throughout the year. We'll bring you stories of student learning, cultural exchange, and the remarkable resilience that thrives when communities come together through the act of gardening.