Education That Sticks

Written by Ms. Rebekah Davis, Specifics Level Lead Teacher

It is the hope of every educator that the lessons students learn at school stick with them and serve them well in life. Luke Loeffler is one student where that is certainly the case!

In 2018, Luke’s class raised the funds for this portable chicken tractor, which allowed their class pets to be moved from bed to bed in the Academy garden, fertilizing the soil with their manure. Not long after they received 6 chickens at just 2 days old!

In the fall of 2018, Luke’s homeroom class (10 yr. olds) undertook a project of raising chickens. They researched chicken care, fundraised for the necessary supplies and equipment, and finally welcomed 6 fuzzy yellow chicks into the corner of the Academy STEM room. All that school year, Luke and his classmates were responsible for the chickens’ care. They gathered scraps from school lunches for chicken feed, and when the chicks were mature enough to transfer outside, the students were responsible for daily letting them out of their coop and making sure the chickens had clean water and fresh bedding. 

“When our class chickens were younger, I learned how to take care of the chickens and how to hold them properly so they wouldn’t freak out. I learned about basic care of several animals that semester,” says Luke, now 11. “It helped me a lot and taught me what to do before I got them on my own.”

Luke's parents today say they trusted that he was capable of caring for their family chickens because of his class experience!

This year, Luke’s family decided to start their own project of raising hens for fresh eggs! “We thought it would be a fun family project and great to get fresh eggs every day. It also helps my little sister get over her fear of animals.” Luke says with a grin. His family ordered 11 chicks, and just a few weeks ago, the mature hens began laying their first eggs. 

“Now we get about 8-10 eggs a day, because they don’t all lay every single day,” Luke says knowledgeably. “One of my jobs is to make sure they have enough food and water each day. It’s very important that when they’re laying eggs the chickens have a good amount of food and water, otherwise their energy can’t go to producing eggs.”

These days Luke is responsible for feeding, watering, locking the chickens up at night to protect them from predators, and daily gathering their eggs!

His mother, Lyssa Loeffler, says that Luke was empowered through his school project of raising chickens. “It was a wonderful experience.  I loved how the kids took responsibility for the chickens as a class and all the while receiving training in the responsibilities. It was definitely a positive experience for Luke, and when we started talking about getting chickens Luke really enjoyed being the expert on the topic!”

We are so thrilled to see students like Luke taking what he’s gained from school and putting it into practice at home, growing confident in animal husbandry, and contributing to the nourishment of his family!