Suzanne Barry – Garden Specialist
Hello, my name is Suzanne Barry, Environmental Education Specialist or you may know me as the Garden Teacher. The children at Open School have a unique experience that many other school children are not exposed to. The next time you come into school, slow down, look around you, every tree and plant was planted and/or cared for by our students, parents and teachers. With the trees and plants came other living creatures that the students have the opportunity to study and explore as budding scientists. The Open School is a living “Outdoor Classroom” that the students get to experience everyday!
I have been working at Open School for 12 yrs. I originally started at our other school site, where we had a much smaller garden and only a few trees. When we moved to this site we started with virtually nothing only what plants we could dig up and bring with us. Before working at Open School, I was a Gardening Angel Volunteer with The University of California Cooperative Extension of Los Angeles. I was trained to consult with schools on implementing garden programs and create curriculum with the teachers. I was also trained as a Certified Master Gardener and volunteered at Community Gardens in several underserved communities. For three years I taught an after-school program for D.A.R.E. at Marina del Rey Middle School.
I am a Life Lab certified Science teacher and have taken several college courses in child development, horticulture, ecology, health, geology, and entomology. I have taken workshops through the LAUSD on teaching science concepts and taken several classes on organic gardening and native plants. I have an Associates Degree in Humanities and continue to take classes leading to a Bachelors Degree at Antioch University. Some of my hobbies are arts & crafts, cooking, hiking and camping. I also work for Los Angeles Recreation and Parks as a Recreation Assistant and summer camp director.