92Y Garden

Root Catalyst has worked closely with the 92Y Nursery school to design and install a school garden on the roof of the 92nd Street Y. The goal of this process has been to provide nursery school students hands-on experiences with organic agriculture and environmental learning– while also providing the 92Y with a beautiful addition to the building’s rooftop.

Root Catalyst started this process by engaging Nursery School faculty in a design process to identify physical and learning goals for the garden. Then, we installed a roof garden which included 9 elevated garden beds and 8 vertical planters designed specifically to maximize engagement and accessibility for nursery-aged kids as well as seniors in the 92Ys senior center. We also experimented with making one garden bed with Plexiglass sides, so that students can observe the magic of what is happening beneath the soil.

Since then, Root Catalyst has worked with the school to support seasonal garden transitions, to establish a learning continuum for all three age/grade levels, and to provide Professional Development for faculty to explore innovative ways to integrate the garden into their classrooms and curricula. We also facilitate our own workshops throughout the school year that engage students from all 11 classes in hands-on gardening activities from seed planting to harvest, designed to integrate sensory and environmental learning as a way of nurturing a sense of interconnection between students, their food, and local environment.