Outdoor education brought to life by College gardens

City of Glasgow College’s rooftop gardens are a huge success story for the city centre college.

In just five years since its City campus opened on Cathedral Street, two external areas have been transformed into a thriving organic vegetable garden, and an orchard.

As well as creating produce which is used by the college’s professional cookery students and training restaurant, they provide the ideal space to develop outdoor education.

“Horticulture is an area that allows us to move beyond our subject specialisms and broaden the scope of our teaching,” explains Don MacKeen, lecturer in community and youth partnerships at the college.

The latest addition to the college’s fourth floor vegetable garden is a weather station, available via the Weatherlink app, which not only provides an accurate forecast for the area but an opportunity for further learning. Its installation is thanks to Don, who explained:

“My aim is to encourage transition students, who are studying geography, engage on social media by tweeting daily forecasts,” said Don. “Our college’s transition programme is designed for students with Asperger’s syndrome who require support to make a successful transition to further education.”

The NQ transition course normally runs over two years and students can study a number of subjects including hospitality, film and media, horticulture, geography and outdoor education.

“A key part of the course is regular one-to-one guidance to help students manage their next transition, usually to mainstream programmes at NC or HN level,” added Don. “The goal is not necessarily academic, it’s to help them gain the skills they will need to cope with the world of work.

“That’s where subjects like horticulture and geography, working in the garden and learning to read the weather station, can all help. The benefits of outdoor education are well documented. Using outdoor spaces helps students develop the important team working and interpersonal skills which they will need for the workplace.

“Students who have been reluctant to work in the gardens, who don’t think it’s something they can do, come away more energised and, I believe, thinking better. They’re surprised at what they find themselves capable of, so come away with a real sense of achievement. And all of that helps build confidence.”

Don is a firm believer in the benefits of urban gardening and the value it adds to outdoor education.

“It creates an opportunity to meet the objectives of sustainability and healthy living in a practical and meaningful way. In a short space of time our college gardens have grown from thin air to providing fresh, healthy, home-grown produce. They are a truly organic educational environment for our students who can learn a great deal from them.”