October 21, 2026 · Raíces del Canal
Giving Back Where They Learn: Students Care for the Garden at Bahía Vista Elementary
Alongside instructors Maite Durán and Yavar Amidi, Raíces del Canal students help care for the garden at Bahía Vista Elementary—a school several of them attend.
For several Raíces del Canal students, the garden at Bahía Vista Elementary is part of a place they already know well: their own school. Returning after hours to help care for it gives them an opportunity to contribute to the school community in a different way.
Working alongside instructors Maite Durán and Yavar Amidi, students take part in tending and improving the garden. The experience connects environmental learning with something close to home—the place where they spend their school days.
A familiar place, a new role
During the school day, students come to learn. In the garden after hours, they also have a role as caretakers. They can work with the plants and soil, help with the tasks in front of them, and contribute to a space shared by their school community.
The photographs capture that hands-on participation: students watering flowers, taking turns with watering cans, and working alongside their instructors. Caring for the garden becomes a shared activity with a visible connection to their everyday lives.
Learning through care
A garden offers opportunities to look closely, ask questions, and learn by doing. Students can notice the plants around them and take part in the attention a growing space needs. Working with others adds another part of the learning: listening, sharing tasks, and contributing to a common goal.
Maite and Yavar’s involvement connects this work with Raíces del Canal’s wider commitment to youth, community, and the land. The school garden is one place where those areas meet in a practical way.
Giving back to their school
For the RDC students who attend Bahía Vista, helping improve the garden is a direct way to give back to their own school. Their contribution becomes part of a place they return to, alongside classmates and the wider school community.
The value of that work includes both the garden and the experience of participating. Students have an opportunity to see that they can help shape and improve a familiar place, with guidance and alongside one another.
Growing a connection beyond the school day
Raíces del Canal’s work at Bahía Vista brings learning and contribution into the same space. The school day may be over, but students still have a way to connect with their school, their instructors, and the land around them.
Together, they help care for the garden—and practice being active caretakers of the community they belong to.
