Garden Classrooms

New Traditions Creative Arts Elementary

New Traditions is a small school that's almost in the exact geographic center of San Francisco, which means a lot of concrete and asphalt. Many of the kids have never seen fruits or vegetables growing; certainly most city kids don't have a backyard. At New Traditions, our gardens are a space for relaxing, talking and learning. We have seen kids amazed that beans come on a stalk not in a can, or that sunflower seeds really come from a sunflower, not a plastic package at the convenience store.

West View Elementary

Our goal is to expand the capacity of our garden so that we can increase our yields and share excess produce with the community. Currently we have three full grown apple trees, a pollinator garden and two small raised vegetable beds. This grant will enable us to add to our current gardening space over time and we plan to use matching funds to maintain upkeep of the garden. As we expand our gardens we will also need to create a closer water source to save time and make it easier for the kids to garden during the week.

This program is supported by UT/TSU Knox County Extension.

Highlander Charter School

Our school first planned a garden in 2005, which has been incorporated into our science curriciula from kindergarten to 8th grade, as well as into afterschool and summer programs. Over the course of the year, all of our 300-plus students get an opportunity to work and learn in the garden.

Detroit Institute of Technology

The Gardens @ DIT will provide the opportunity for our students, staff and community to participate in garden-based learning that will promote and support our educational objectives and ignite creativity, problem solving, and hands-on, experiential learning. We hope that those involved will learn empathy, patience and self-discipline. Our garden will provide the opportunity to teach these lifelong lessons and to give students an avenue to a more fulfilling learning experience. We recognize that our garden will be an avenue to higher standards.

Armatage Montessori School

The Armatage Garden Project has two goals. The first is to engage our special needs students in the Garden Project. Armatage is fortunate to have two CLASS classrooms for students with developmental disabilities. This grant provides CLASS students with an opportunity to raise and harvest produce right outside their classroom window. In addition, those students will have the opportunity to mentor other students in planting the orchard and raised vegetable beds.

The Orion School

Outdoor education and gardening have been essential components of our curriculum since our inception. We take our students hiking every Wednesday to instill a love of the outdoors. Our garden is a home to bats, listed as an endangered species by the IUCN and features a bird sanctuary and a chicken coop. Our Certified Wildlife Habitat includes an organic fruit and vegetable garden, chickens, a worm farm, a pollinator garden, compost tumblers and rain barrels; all of which are used to promote environmental education.

The Farm School

Our goal is to create a permaculture site and learning program at the school. Permaculture is a set of techniques and principals that design for human needs while caring for the earth. The garden is the central component. We want an outdoor, living classroom that is integrated into our curriculum in a hands on way. We want a learning environment that fosters communication, cooperation, critical thinking and decision making. We want to provide students with the resources and opportunities to follow their interests.

PS/IS 323

Our goal with this educational garden is two fold: to inspire students through incorporating the natural world into their learning process; and to encourage young people to consider the impact that food and nutrition have on their lives and future health. In order to achieve our goals we must complete our garden construction and secure finances to support ongoing programming. This grant specifically will allow us to kickstart our spring season by purchasing seeds and potting soil, constructing an early spring cold frame, and filling our remaining 3 garden beds with topsoil.

Lapham Elementary School

Our goal is to offer outdoor experiential learning opportunities in order to encourage exercise and healthy eating; expose students to the concepts of sustainable living and conservation; connect students to the natural world to inspire appreciation and respect for nature; encourage the integration of garden activities into classroom curriculum; and build community.

Withrow Avenue Jr. Public School

Our Goals for the Spiderweb Garden are basic: to continue to offer a teaching garden, led by a Garden Educator who offers specialized knowledge of garden-based and environmental education to support teachers in creating and delivering hands-on learning opportunities linked to all subject areas in the Ontario curriculum. A grant will help us to sustain the salary of our garden educator, Elin Marley. We want to contribute to teacher Tom Mandel

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