THE FARM AT FAIRPLEX - EDUCATION

Field Trips at The Farm

Why should I take a field trip to The Farm?

A school field trip to a local farm is a great way to expose students to local agriculture, learn and have fun at the same time. Field trips to The Farm at Fairplex help students identify nutritious, wholesome food and encourage them to connect with local farms and farmers. Plus, field trips have an added advantage of being interactive and fun!

  • The hands-on experiential learning environment a farm provides is invaluable to a students’ educational growth.
  • Not only does the student learn about farm practices, chores, animals, plants, the farm lifestyle, the product and farm economics, but they also learn about history, math, science and health topics which are relevant to their classroom curriculum.
  • Fun and educational hands-on activities that utilize The Farm and are aligned with California Common Core Standards.
  • The Learning Centers at Fairplex offers educational programs at The Farm that reconnect students to the agricultural heritage of the Inland Valley and opens doors to future generations who care about food and farming.
    School field trips are available to grades K-12 year-round.
  • Field-trips are also available to clubs, home-school, and church groups with a 20 attendee minimum and a maximum of 75 attendees.
  • Farm field-trips are offered Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 9 am, 10 am or 11 am time slots.
  • Cost of $10 per student. Teachers and chaperones are free. We require a 1:10 ratio (1 chaperone for every 10 students).
Register Here

CTEC Urban Farming

About CTEC

Career & Technical Educational Center is an educational center that focuses on your future – by providing training that will increase your industry-related skill and knowledge to assist you in finding employment. CTEC, a program of The Learning Centers at Fairplex, offers a wide range of career training, including: Automotive, 2D & 3D Visual Design, Water Technology, Fashion Design, Urban Farming, Culinary and Hospitality. There is no cost to high school participants and, with a partnership with San Antonio ROP, students receive hours that may be used for elective credits towards high school graduation. We also offer low-cost classes for adults. For more information, visit: tlcfairplex.org/ctec.

What is Urban Farming?

Urban Farming is an innovative solution to increase access to fresh food while at the same time revitalizing the economic and social health of communities. It is also nurturing a new generation of young leaders through the operation of an urban farming enterprise. CTEC’s Urban Farming program prepares students to:

  • Gain expertise in cultivation, landscape design, nursery work and urban growing, as well as sales and marketing
  • Acquire knowledge of growing and sustaining a business
  • Positively engage with their community through the operation of a socially responsible urban farming enterprise

Course Curriculum and Projects

Urban Farming introduces students to the basics of farming and helps them explore careers in agriculture and natural resources through hands-on training at Fairplex’s five-acre diversified farm. As the urban farming and food sustainability movements continue to grow, this class provides an opportunity for students to enter a rapidly expanding industry. In addition to experiencing what it takes to farm, students are introduced to:

  • The concepts of leadership, horticulture, food justice, nutrition and community organizing.
  • Skills such as transplanting plants, propagation and landscape design; and business skills such as packaging, sales and order fulfillment.
  • The farm-to-table movement through cooperative learning with CTEC’s Culinary Arts class and on-site businesses such as Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center and McKinley’s Grill.
  • Future opportunities through site visits to potential employers such as local farms, botanical gardens and nurseries.

How to Enroll

  1. Visit CTEC’s website, tlcfairplex.org/ctec.
  2. To view the current course schedule, click on the appropriate schedule link.
  3. To enroll in a course, click on the application tab to print the application.
  4. Select the CTEC class you wish to enroll in and complete the student information section.
  5. Submit the completed application to the CTEC office.
  6. Once your application is received, we will confirm your enrollment via email and/or phone.