Some high school students in Bradford were up to their elbows in dirt today.

It's for a program where the classroom is a greenhouse and the students get as much out of the experience as they put in.

At the greenhouse, it's really the students who are in charge. They make the paper pots, plant the seeds, and then clean up the mess.

“It's my favourite class,” says Grade 9 student Jason Miller, who adds he likes “washing the pots and washing the dishes.”

To keep things running smoothly, it takes a lot of work, and the students take on a lot of responsibility.

But that's what they love about the class.

And for students with special needs, hands-on learning is key.

“A lot of our kids are very sensory needy, and they need those sensory activities, like to calm them, or to make them feel good about themselves,” says life skills teacher Kimberly Robertson.

And in this ‘classroom,’ the students are surrounded by their accomplishments.

Grade 12 student Katrina King says “all sorts of different things” is her favourite thing to do.

There are vegetables, herbs, and flowers are all growing in the greenhouse and the students are responsible for taking care of them from the second the seed is put in the pot through their growth.

“We're giving them skills that they can maybe take into jobs, and help out at the home in the garden, or help out in the community,” says educational assistant Sherry Morrow.

Right now the greenhouse class is only available during second semester, but because it's so popular with the students there are plans to expand.

“We'll have enough sections to be running it in semester 1 and semester 2,” says Bradford District High School vice principal Amanda Potter. “We're also growing it beyond just the greenhouse, so the next steps for these students will be to take some of these plants and now beautify the outside of the school.”

The plants will be on display so everyone at Bradford high school can see what these students have been working on.

Once the flowers are in full bloom and the vegetables are ripe, the school community has a chance to purchase what's been growing in here all semester. The money will be going toward supplies for the greenhouse so the program can continue.