Nature Nurture
Two young students move fresh soil to the garden at Verdi Ecoschool with the use of child-sized wheelbarrows. VERDI ECOSCHOOL PHOTOS
Education is growth — literally — at Verdi EcoSchool
An Ecoschool student tastes a cranberry hibiscus leaf. VERDI ECOSCHOOL PHOTOS
A plant-based diet is good for the body. If Verdi EcoSchool is any indication, a plant-based education is good for both body and mind. The small private school in Melbourne uses the environment to teach students and their parents. The Eau Gallie Arts District serves as the campus for an interdisciplinary program held outdoors. The lesson plan is designed to free children’s interests rather than constrain them. And the approach is being recognized. In 2023, Verdi EcoSchool was named a semifinalist for the Yass Prize, which celebrates best-in-class educational organizations across the nation.
Ayana and John Verdi launched the school in 2017, after moving to the Space Coast from Miami and searching for the right educational modality for their children. They didn’t find what they were searching for in mainstream education, so they did the next logical — if brave — thing: started their own school.
“We had no dream of founding a school but felt there was a piece missing in individualized education,” Executive Director Ayana Verdi said. The couple was inspired by a visit to the Golden Bridges School, a highly rated, outdoor-based school in San Francisco. Simultaneously, they were nurturing the seed of an idea that first sprouted at an Eau Gallie Arts District plant camp, hosted by artist Derek Gores. “We fell in love with the district,” she said.
On a property that is slightly less than an acre, the couple created a school that centers its curriculum not in a stuffy classroom, but on a thriving urban farm within sight of the arts district and not far from the Indian River Lagoon. “We use the farm as the connector to all the subjects and create an educational experience around the growing of food,” Verdi said. “The children learn to harvest and cook the food they grow.” Certified personal chef Cayli Arico leads the harvest-to-table classes.
Students plant seedlings in the market garden at Verdi. The students prepare and eat some of the produce that they grow with the help of Chef Cayli Arico. VERDI ECOSCHOOL PHOTOS
NEXT LEVEL
Verdi student Faith Hill feeds a rescued baby squirrel during a community internship at Florida Wildlife Hospital. VERDI ECOSCHOOL PHOTOS
Students, grouped according to Growth Levels not age, meet together twice a day to build social connections while working toward mastery of skills. The learning framework addresses navigating conflict, becoming leaders, building networks, sustaining wellness and engaging as a citizen. “We are concerned about the students’ growth over time, as they progress on individual journeys,” Verdi said.
Students are also part of Discovery Levels, again of mixed ages but generally close in age and development. Students spend two to three years in each Discovery Level to gain the skills to progress to the next. Families can choose to enroll full-time or use Verdi to enhance homeschooling classes.
How do EcoSchool students’ academic achievements compare with their peers in mainstream schools? “They’re doing as well or better than their local counterparts,” Verdi said. Some of the middle-school students are even participating in dual-enrollment classes. But Verdi also points out that, while educational achievement is vital, so is achieving happiness in school — and life.
Students seem to readily connect with the school’s ambiance and goals. Faith Hill [no, not the singer] has attended both public and parochial schools but prefers Verdi. “There was a lot of fighting going on; everybody was stressed out; and I couldn’t learn in that environment,” she said. “Here, they keep you engaged.” Hill, 17, wants to be a vet specializing in exotic species. She takes dual enrollment classes and interns at Florida Wildlife Hospital.
Thirteen-year-old Ethan Wirkkala has been at Verdi for the last two years, after attending public schools. “There was a lot more paperwork in the public schools,” he said. “There’s more project-based learning here.” Gio Verdi, oldest child of the founders, remembers schools in Miami without fondness. “If you fell behind, the school didn’t wait for you,” the 13-year-old recalled. “But here, if you stumble, the train stops.” Gio’s sister, Annabella, 9, loves the fact that students “get their hands in the dirt,” which — you have to admit — is fun.
Verdi Ecoschool students take field trips to Eau Gallie Pier as part of their curriculum. VERDI ECOSCHOOL PHOTOS
Teacher Mikael Maynard, center, releases ladybugs in the garden with help from her students. VERDI ECOSCHOOL PHOTOS
BENEFITS
Mikael Maynard, faculty member since the start of the school, teaches agricultural science to kindergarten through high school students. “The school is quite different,” she said. “We focus on smaller classes so we can take the extra time with the students. As educators, we have freedom and flexibility.”
Jessie McCutcheon enrolled her daughter, Olive, at Verdi at age 3. At the time, the Melbourne resident thought the school would be a perfect introduction to education but that her daughter would eventually attend other schools. Now almost 10, Olive is still at Verdi and her younger brother, Oscar, is also a student. “Every year we think about it and every year we go back,” McCutcheon said.
McCutcheon considered homeschooling, but soon realized her daughter would learn better from someone other than mom. She admits Verdi EcoSchool may not be the right fit for families who prefer a more hands-off, mainstream education. But she feels that the EcoSchool provides ample opportunity for children to tap into their amazing side.
“The school is such a magical place,” she said.
For more, see verdiecoschool.org.
