Many scenes in Seedfolks involve a similar kind of event: The gardeners on Gibb Street work together to solve a problem. Together, they clean the trash out of the vacant lot, dig garden plots, and figure out a better way to water their plants. In this way, the group cooperates―they work together―to turn an ugly, useless piece of ground into a beautiful, useful one.

Each character in Seedfolks has a slightly different reason for joining the effort, but they all seem to take pride in creating something meaningful. When people work together to build something new, they have gone beyond cooperation. The act of creating something with other people is called collaboration. If you’ve ever worked with other students to create a project, such as a poster, presentation, or video, you have collaborated.

What’s it like to collaborate on something meaningful? In this course’s first discussion, you’ll have a chance to find out. You’ll collaborate with the other students in your class to write a poem about the Gibb Street garden and the people who tend it. In other words, you’ll create meaning together.