Garden Classrooms

Walter M. Schirra

Our goal is to propagate the “SEEDS” (Schirra is Exercising, Exploring and Digging for Success) program no later than the end of May 2015. All 355 regular and Special Education students will be given the opportunity to be set into peer buddy classes. They will absorb the garden’s natural beauty while being actively involved with the curriculum. Students will water, weed, experience, and learn about the rocks, animal and plant life that they will grow through their grade level curriculum. We hope to lead them towards a lifetime commitment to physical activity and good health.

Dicken Elementary

Our school’s edible garden is called the Dicken PLANT Garden. PLANT stands for ‘Planting, Learning, and Appreciating Natures Treasures’. Our main goals are to:
• Educate students on living healthy & growing organic food
• Teach students to respect & care for the earth and each other
• Provide students with a hands-on way to learn lessons that complement curriculum and beyond.
• Be a model for families that may want to explore growing their own produce

Center for Inquiry III (CFI 27)

Our goal as a school garden committee is to provide the students with the knowledge and understanding about the benefits of growing your own food and how to collaborate as a community. We want to use the garden as an education tool that will serve as a unique way to get the students involved in nature and teach them the rewards with working together for a good cause. Being a city school, there are many kids who are malnourished and have NO idea about healthy eating and healthy lifestyle.

Harding University Partnership School

Our goal at Harding University Partnership's School Garden is to immerse each and every one of the students in the five pillars of Explore Ecology's Garden Education Program: Planting, Harvesting, Cultivating, Composting, and Nutrition. With the assistance of the Whole Kids Grant we will have the capability to purchase garden supplies for an after-school garden club devoted to students who are fervent about digging into garden education.

Pleasant Ridge Elementary School

The goal of the garden is to give students the opportunity to taste a variety of fruits and vegetables and ideally increase the amount of consumption of those items. Students would also gain a sense of responsibility, learn a life sustaining skill that could improve quality of life, and provide another way to learn their academics. Responsibility would be gained by being assigned a job in the garden. Life skills will be acquired by participating in the garden development and upkeep.

Southwood Elementary School

Southwood Elementary School is a true “neighborhood school,” serving 350 students from pre-K to 5th grade in suburban Old Bridge, New Jersey. As part of our “Sustainable Southwood” school-wide initiative and community partnership, our school has made a steadfast commitment to promoting character development with an emphasis on social and environmental responsibility.

Robert Drummond Elementary

Living in a lower income community, I see the relation between poverty and poor health. As a health coach, mother of a student at this school, and girl scout parent and volunteer, I get an up close and personal view of this relationship. A few instances my daughter, (Olivia, 5th grade) has come home with some health information she got at school, excited and educating us on what to do and what she learned. My goal is to set up a nutrition education class that comes with the garden experience in our school, and maybe even in our school district.

Underwood Elementary

The Underwood School Garden has been a staple of our school community for almost 20 years! The space was created by Missy Costello and Janet Springfield (two fifth grade teachers) to provide students with an understanding of science and to have an “outdoor classroom.”

Bennett-Hemenway Elementary School

Our garden was started 3 years ago by 2 moms that wanted to educate our students on where food comes from and how to eat healthy. In those 3 years, the garden has grown from 1 bed to 10 raised beds, 2 flower gardens and a raspberry patch. Our goal this year is to further grow the garden to include a year-round greenhouse to help the students further their knowledge of plant lifecycles and give our teachers a year-round classroom devoted to plants and their importance in the everyday lives of our students.

Virginia Chance School

With the help of a grant and community donations, our school was able to build a hoop house that will enable us to grow fruits and vegetables year round. We are requesting a Whole Kids Garden Grant to plant a variety of vegetables, fruit bearing trees and shrubs in and around the greenhouse to enhance experiential learning while promoting healthy, locally grown foods and supporting biodiversity.

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