Instructional coach spreads urban ag learning from Feed the World workshop

Kathleen Hickson is an Instructional Coach for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD). She works with teachers and staff to determine goals, locate and create curricular resources, provide professional development, and model instructional strategies. Hickson said, “Our goal is to help each student, pre-K through grade 8, to achieve academically at the highest possible level.”

This summer, Hickson attended the Cleveland Feed the World workshop. “I enjoyed learning more about urban agriculture from guest speakers, doing hands-on collaborative work, and discovering a local farm right in my own backyard!” The farm she is referring to is the Ohio City Farm located on the west side of downtown Cleveland. Workshop participants took a field trip to the farm.

Since Hickson works with a variety of teachers in different buildings, what she learned at the workshop will go a long way. “I will meet with science and social studies teachers to share what I’ve learned about the organizations and local resources that are available.” Together, Hickson and the teachers will determine how the Feed the World lessons fit with Ohio standards and the district’s scope and sequence. Hickson sees a good connection with one school’s interior vivarium which includes turtles, cockatoos, fish, and flora.