From the classroom to the farm, students take "Learning Journey"

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The Milwaukee Public School District has announced a new program -- it’s called “The Farm." It’s their fourth “Learning Journey” program to date. It will connect what the kids learn in the classroom, to what they learn and see on a trip to Oak Ridge Farm in Waukesha County.

“When we thought about what curricular areas we wanted to focus on, the farm really encompasses different areas,” said Christina Flood, Chief Academic Officer for MPS. “I think what`s special about this, is kids can read about this in books but it’s different to be engaged with the animal on the farm, to really see it in real life, so that practical application is huge.”

“It`s a demonstration farm that we run and the kids actually get to see the milk come out of the cow. So they realize that milk really does come from a cow and not just from a grocery store,” said Tony Weber with Oak Ridge Farm.

On Wednesday, Weber brought some of the animals to Luther Burbank School for the announcement. Only one kindergarten class was able to visit the animals this time, but next year during the program, all of the district’s 6,000 kindergarteners will be a part of it.

Officials say it’s an opportunity for students to connect what happens on a Wisconsin farm to their everyday experiences.

“It used to be everybody`s grandma or grandpa lived on a farm, that`s not the case anymore. Less than two percent of the population are farmers now and people just don`t realize where their food comes from anymore,” said Weber.

Other MPS Learning Journeys include:

Oak Ridge Farm is near Dousman in southwestern Waukesha County. The farm is owned by the state of Wisconsin and operated by Milwaukee Public Schools for school field trips and Milwaukee Recreation programs and is available to students from across the region.