Workshops ·
School Farm Trip near Istanbul: Planning a Nature Workshop
Hello dear friends. 🌿 I would like to tell you about our school days. At schools we also spend lovely days with middle and high school students. We plant seedlings and flowers in the wooden raised beds of the school garden, and yellow and orange blooms bring colour to the soil. As hands touch the earth, voices soften and laughter grows. Then it is time for the kitchen. Steam rises from the pot on the stove, and while the students strain it through a muslin cloth, every eye is on that pot.
Working with young people in the soil and in the kitchen is a joy of its own. These days are energetic and creative; by the end, all of us have soil on our hands and a smile on our faces.
We can plan a day like this with your school too. There are two options: either I come to your school, or you bring the class to Şifa Köyü, our organic farm in Şile on the Black Sea coast of Istanbul. In both cases the programme is built around the age group. When a student follows a seed they sowed themselves, it can stay with them for a long time, can it not? The soil teaches, all by itself, things that are hard to explain in a classroom: waiting, caring, respect for effort. What would you like your students to take away from this day?
A school day at Şifa Köyü
A school day at Şifa Köyü is spent in nature, on our farm in Çengilli, Şile. We grow with heirloom seeds and without chemical sprays, and our produce holds EU-approved organic farming certification. With visiting classes we first walk through the greenhouse. Then everyone gets a handful of seeds and the sowing begins; there is painting under the pergola too. During the day the students pet our animals, listen to the sounds of nature and slow down a little in the open air. We close the day resting with a short meditation.
With kindergarten and primary classes, play, stories and seed sowing come first. With middle school, high school and university students we add planting in the garden, a hands-on session in the kitchen and a talk about natural living. Depending on what the school needs, we can also cook with the produce we grow from heirloom seeds. Those who wish can shop from the farm’s produce as well.
A nature workshop at your school
For a nature workshop at your school you do not need to travel; if coming to Şile is difficult, I come to you. We plan where to hold it and the materials together with the school; sometimes the school provides soil, pots or paints itself. At schools with a garden the seedlings go into the ground together. Even a single pot sprouting on a windowsill is enough to bring nature into a classroom. If you like, we can also add a reading with the Şifa Köyü book series, which has an English edition too.
What we need to talk about when planning
What we need to talk about when planning comes down to a few simple points. A calm, comfortable day for everyone depends on these details:
- Age group and number of students
- How many teachers and chaperones will come
- How transport will be arranged
- Meals and snacks, and students with allergies
- Toilet and rest breaks
- A rain plan
- The needs of students with limited mobility
Each of these shapes the flow of the day, so we prepare the proposal once they are clear. Write to us, we will get back to you, and we will go through the details together. If you teach at an international school in Istanbul, tell us the language your students work in. One small note: the farm is a natural space, with soil, mud and plants. I would suggest the students wear comfortable clothes that can get dirty. To me, a child who goes home covered in soil has lived that day to the full.
Before and after the trip
A short preparation in class with seeds and compost before the trip is a lovely start. The students make sense of what they see on the farm more easily. I gathered classroom activities in a separate post, which you can find through the link below. After the trip, following the seeds you sowed back in class is a sweet way to continue. That way the day does not remain just a trip; it keeps growing on the classroom windowsill.
I am already looking forward to the day we breathe in the smell of the soil with your students. Whatever is on your mind, write to us; we would be very happy to read it. With love. 🌱
Preschool nature activities with seeds and compost →
How to get to Şifa Köyü from Istanbul →
Write to us about a school programme →
Frequently asked questions
Which age groups do you work with?
We work with every age from kindergarten to high school, and with university students too. We build the programme around the age group: play and stories with the little ones, planting and kitchen work with older students.
Are transport and meals included?
It depends on what the school needs. We write clearly in the proposal what is included.
What if the weather is bad?
We agree on a rain plan or a date change together from the start, so nobody has to worry on the day.
Can we do it at school without coming to the farm?
Yes. I come to your school, and we talk through where to hold it together.
Can students with limited mobility join?
Let us talk about this at the planning stage. Tell us what the student needs, and we will look together at how to set up the day on the farm or at school.
What do you need for a proposal?
The number of students, the age group, your preferred date and where the programme will take place. With these, we get back to you with a plan that suits you.