Six years ago, Affton High School’s Garden Club had only four members devoted to keeping the outdoor space alive. Now, that number has tripled in size to 12 members — reaching a peak of 18 members last year — who hope to make AHS a place of biodiversity and ecological literacy. In the past year, the Garden Club has seen a revitalization of its membership and the garden itself.
“There were a lot of overgrown weeds, and it looked disheveled and unkempt,” David Gillean, AHS assistant principal and club co-sponsor, said. “Last year, we fixed all that. We have a great group of students who are back this year, and we got a fresh group of students, also. We did a whole facelift on the garden, and we’re seeing the fruits of our labor.”
Earlier this year, Gillean applied for a $3,500 garden grant from the Whole Kids Foundation, a nonprofit focused on children’s nutrition. Initially, he was told that AHS had been put on a stand-by list to receive the grant, and as time went on, he forgot about it. In August, however, Gillean was notified that Affton would be receiving the funds.
But after turnover with the club’s co-sponsors, Gillean worried that the money would just sit in an account without ample faculty that could lead the club. Before school started, he walked into the classroom of first-year teacher Lydia Burroughs as she was setting her plants in the sunlight. He asked if she would become a co-sponsor for the Garden Club, and Burroughs agreed.
“As a first-year teacher, I was scared of getting caught in this trap of waking up, going to school, planning and going to bed,” Burroughs said. “Just doing that over and over again, instead of being an active teacher who’s involved with students, both inside and outside the classroom.”
The Garden Club meets every Friday. The students have time to catch up and strategize about community outreach or grant applications before they head to the garden, where they have been growing flowers and vegetables. Burroughs says they are transitioning to making the club more student-led.
“The kids get hands-on, pick vegetables, clear out weeds,” Burroughs said. “We make sure our walkways are cleared and that we have everything organized.”
With the $3,500 in grant money, the Garden Club hopes to continue growing the space into something beautiful. This includes gardening plants that are native to Missouri, as well as encouraging pollinators to make their stop at Affton High School.
Gillean also hopes that the Garden Club can continue connecting with students within the school, as well as partnering with younger students in the Affton School District. He says Rogers Middle School has a robust club, and he hopes that by collaborating with them, they can carry those members into the high school club.
“We’re dedicated to getting more students involved,” Gillean said. “I encourage all of our students to be involved in something. It’s great to be a part of that. Not only are we growing seeds from seedlings and nurturing them, but we’re doing the same thing with our kids. We’re teaching them to give back to Mother Nature, and to use these skills outside of high school.”
