Photo by hoyasmeg via flickr
Today’s Washington Post features a great article on school gardens and the No Child Left Inside Act, a piece of legislation we discussed last week here at TGSG. The Post article talks about several DC area schools using school gardens as outdoor classrooms, and how children and educators alike are benefiting from the experience.
I have been involved with the school gardening movement for 10 years, and even had the pleasure of working with some of the schools mentioned in the article, including adding on to the Peace Garden with teachers and students at Carodozo High School. I have seen first-hand students flourish by planning, planting, and learning in a garden — elbow-deep in soil, sun on small backs — minds, imaginations and bodies fully engaged.
School gardens have been shown to help improve test scores, as well reduce behavior issues in the classroom. The hands-on, real-world learning these spaces provide help students grasp concepts in a meaningful way, while the physical act of being outdoors and working and exploring in a garden offers an outlet for excess energy. I have seen students that struggle in traditional classrooms really make great learning strides in a school garden. They truly are living classrooms.
While it’s simple to see uses for a school garden in teaching science and and environmental studies, they are also great places to teach literacy, math, art, and social studies. The integration of a variety of subjects makes a garden an amazing, cost effective way to teach many lessons and engage students with different learning styles. With funds increasingly limited for field trips, gardens offer a much needed break from the classroom walls, without ever having to board a school bus. No permission slips necessary!
School gardens are also a great place to teach character development skills, like teamwork, communication skills, responsibility, and more. They are also a way to help children learn about nutrition and a tie to other health education issues. For older students, gardens offer a place to explore potential careers, such as landscape architecture, soil science, botany, and more. One enterprising high school class I worked with set up a stand at a local farmers’ market and sold part of their harvest. They learned a lot about financial management, business development, and marketing in the process.
Now, it must be said that school gardens are also a lot of work. I have seen just as many go back to seed or get mowed over as I have seen flourish. It takes more than the commitment of an excited and dedicated teacher — much more. Gardens need support of the administration, the grounds keepers, and the parents to truly work — and this commitment has to be renewed each year. Just like the seasons, school communities change, and a garden’s maintenance and support plan needs to change along with it.
From preschool to high school, school gardens provide a place to learn, explore, and have fun right on the school grounds. With the proper support, they offer a school community a way to engage in exciting hands-on learning while adding a level of beauty to the landscape that can be enjoyed by everyone, including neighbors and the community at large.
For more information on school gardens, including lesson plans, grant information, and a Parents’ Primer on gardening, visit the great folks at The American Gardening Associaiton. The Junior Master Gardener’s Program also has a lot of useful information, including the Growing Good Kids – Excellence in Children’s Literature Book Awards Program.
See ya outside! – The Grass Stain Guru
Great Read on School Gardens http://tinyurl.com/djnqdw
@balmeras Love your newest post! I was the 1st to comment (I know it’s not a competition… I’m just sayin) http://tinyurl.com/djnqdw
Great post! Gardens are great for all people of all ages!
My Mom is a Master Gardener and she did a lot of work with gardens and schools. One of their favorite gardens to plant was a pizza garden. Full of everything you would need to top a pizza (except the cheese)!
That’s great. I can see how a garden can be used to apply some of the classroom learning to real life activities like Math, Art, and Science. And at the same time, kids can have fun and get a little dirty.
I am fully agree with the article. This method is very effective, I can tell it from my experience. In my country (it was part of USSR before, now it is Latvia) when I was in kinder garden we grew vegetables outside. Also we had so called “Red corners” in every group – places where we had plants, pets and nature-related stuff. So buy taking care of the plants and pets we were taught to love nature. This idea works
Love this ! My mom, an educator for the past 28+ years, has worked on gardens and greenhouses with students through out her career. The local elementary (which my daughter will likely attend in 2 years) has thriving gardens. Exciting stuff!
Perfect timing on the post, Bethe! I’m meeting with a child care center tomorrow to begin plans for their outdoor learning environment. This post will be included in our discussion. Thanks for stressing the importance of a long-term committment from adults in the decision-making process to start a garden.
Wendy’s idea of a pizza garden is wonderful! Thanks, Wendy!
Great comments! Yes, it’s an important point, Vicki. Everyone gets excited to start a garden, but keeping one up, especially over the summer when school is out, can be a challenge. It’s important to go into with your eyes wide open. Often, you can engage gardening clubs, after-school clubs and set up volunteer teams through the PTA to help — but it is an active, on-going process.
You can have all sorts of fun with theme gardens. Kids do love the pizza garden! I have also done the following:
- red, white & blue gardens
- a butterfly garden shaped like a butterfly
- a songbird garden
- an alphabet garden (1 plant for each letter)
- several history gardens (e.g. Three Sisters garden)
- salsa gardens
- memorial gardens for a classmate or teacher who has passed away
- rain gardens and bog gardens
You name it, you can work a garden theme around it. The most important element is to get those kids involved right from the beginning. Really get them excited to be a part of the planning process, etc.
Have fun! Cheers- Bethe
@balmeras RT New post @ The Grass Stain Guru: Growing Young Minds in School Gardens http://bit.ly/1pPZW
RT @balmeras: New post @ The Grass Stain Guru: Growing Young Minds in School Gardens http://bit.ly/1pPZW #playoutdoors #edreform
RT @balmeras: New post @ The Grass Stain Guru: Growing Young Minds in School Gardens http://bit.ly/1pPZW #playoutdoors #edreform
Great Read on School Gardens http://tinyurl.com/djnqdw
@balmeras Love your newest post! I was the 1st to comment (I know it’s not a competition… I’m just sayin) http://tinyurl.com/djnqdw
It can be challenging to keep the school community (teachers, parents, students, administrators) excited about keeping things moving. We just got a fresh boost of energy from one my son’s art teachers. She had the marvelous idea of using the school’s raised beds in Feb/Mar as an outdoor exhibit area for student created “found art” scultptures! The kids created great sculptures from items that would otherwise have gone into a landfill. What would have been a drab out-of-use space became an exciting art show!
In case U missed today’s spring-inspired post @ The Grass Stain Guru– Growing Young Minds in School Gardens http://bit.ly/1pPZW
Jeanne- What a great idea! Thanks for sharing with us.
Cheers- Bethe
In case U missed today’s spring-inspired post @ The Grass Stain Guru– Growing Young Minds in School Gardens http://bit.ly/1pPZW
@balmeras did a post on school gardens & mentioned NCLI again. Growing Young Minds in School Gardens http://bit.ly/1pPZW
@balmeras did a post on school gardens & mentioned NCLI again. Growing Young Minds in School Gardens http://bit.ly/1pPZW
@balmeras did a post on school gardens & mentioned NCLI again. Growing Young Minds in School Gardens http://bit.ly/1pPZW
Wrote a post on school gardens last week U might find helpful. Good comments, too. http://bit.ly/1pPZW #twitter4vg
RT @balmeras: Wrote a post on school gardens last week U might find helpful. Good comments, too. http://bit.ly/1pPZW #twitter4vg
RT @balmeras: Wrote a post on school gardens last week U might find helpful. Good comments, too. http://bit.ly/1pPZW #twitter4vg
Aw, I love this post from @balmeras about school gardens! http://bit.ly/1pPZW #twitter4vg
RT @rsandfo: RT @balmeras: Wrote a post on school gardens last week U might find helpful. Good comments. http://bit.ly/1pPZW #twitter4vg
Gardening is so important for young minds and bodies! Thanks for a great article, Bethe. My children marvel at the small shoots when they come out of the ground and we plan fresh meals to try with things otherwise “off limits” – carrots! Radishes!
Best, Stephanie
Wrote a post on school gardens last week U might find helpful. Good comments, too. http://bit.ly/1pPZW #twitter4vg
RT @balmeras: Wrote a post on school gardens last week U might find helpful. Good comments, too. http://bit.ly/1pPZW #twitter4vg
RT @balmeras: Wrote a post on school gardens last week U might find helpful. Good comments, too. http://bit.ly/1pPZW #twitter4vg
Aw, I love this post from @balmeras about school gardens! http://bit.ly/1pPZW #twitter4vg
RT @rsandfo: RT @balmeras: Wrote a post on school gardens last week U might find helpful. Good comments. http://bit.ly/1pPZW #twitter4vg