Increasing Inclusion in the School Garden
Garden-based education is for everyone! As garden education professionals we have a responsibility to our students to make the amazing learning that happens around a garden bed accessible and engaging to all of our students. In 2016 we set out to increase our ability to include learners with diverse learning needs through the adaptation of our educational practices, materials, and curriculum. This packet is a compilation of the information we learned through this 12-month project. We hope it can be of use to other garden educators. Our sincere gratitude to the Coeta and Donald Barker Foundation for their generous support that enabled us to embark on this important work!
Growing Success with School Gardens
This manual was designed as a part of an eight-hour workshop for schools looking to create a new learning garden. From creating a master plan, through site analysis and planning, to creating lessons and planting with the school year, this offering will help you and your team to have a successful start to a new program.
On-site Composting at Schools
This manual is for anyone who is interested in helping schools implement composting programs: students, teachers, community members, food service staff, custodians, volunteers, parents, and anyone else with an interest in composting. The manual was originally designed to accompany a School Composting Workshop in April, 2009. For Lane County Schools, we recommend contacting the City of Eugene’s Love Food Not Waste program coordinator for cafeteria composting specific questions.
This Plant Part Diagram includes a pre-filled sheet as well as a blank sheet for students to use on their own. We have developed this for printing and laminating to help students who would benefit from a large and colorful example in the classroom.
These Plant Part Cards include a full set of bright colored examples with clear lettering. They can be used in conjunction with games offered in Year 1, Fall Lesson 2, or our STEM in the Garden Plant Parts Unit. We also encourage you to create you own activities!
Developed for Year 1, Fall Lesson 3, these Seed Dispersal Cards include six main examples of seed dispersal methods. They can be used for seed hunts, matching exercises, charades, and more!
The Soil Bingo sheets provide educators with endless opportunities in the garden. You can use them for critter hunts, classroom bingo with educational questions, and to look at decomposers or soil habitats in a fun and engaging way.
A staff favorite, these tomato life-cycle cards can be used in conjunction with teaching Plant Parts, Pollination, Seasons and Phenology, and much more!
This “Web of Life” game card set has been created for lower elementary age students and is used in the activity found in Year 1, Spring Lesson 2.
This “Web of Life” game card set has been created for upper level elementary aged students. On the backs, food, water, and shelter are listed to help students generate connections between the life around them and build a mental model of habitat interdependence.
Used in Year 1, Spring Lesson 4, this Pollinator Matching Game includes a full-color card sets of common Pacific Northwest flowers and their pollinators!
Worms are a common guest in School Garden Project classrooms. This sheet is designed to lead students through a scientific observation and can easily be implemented by an educator or volunteer.
These comprehensive cards lead students through various methods of seed saving and storage. With a focus on genetic diversity, these cards support upper elementary through middle school students.
The Harvest Trading Card set can be used in dozens of ways! Made specifically for students in Oregon, you will find crop facts, growing and planting dates, plant parts, and origination information as well as nutritional values. Designed with two cards per-sheet, this set will create a total of 24 colorful crop cards.
School Garden Project Planting Chart
This monthly planting guide has been developed specifically for school gardens in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Each month includes planting recommendations, garden tasks, and educational activities that can help educators to utilize on-site garden space for educational success throughout the school year.
School Garden Friendly Crops
These 23 crops all pass the test of our garden educators as winners for school gardens! Over the years, we have refined what crops really are the best fit for a school garden setting in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. These are crops that are: fairly easy to grow, can handle a little neglect (think inconsistent watering), are culturally significant, lend themselves nicely to science exploration, support the garden ecosystem, and are harvestable during school months.
Lowe’s Toolbox for Education
“Raise up to $5,000 for your school in minutes. It’s that easy when you take advantage of Lowe’s Toolbox for Education grant program. Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation (LCEF) knows how hard you work for your kids and your community and is dedicated to helping your parent-teacher group achieve even more for your school. Apply for our Toolbox for Education Grant now and build on your already impressive parent group success with Lowe’s.”
Whole Kids Foundation
Created in partnership with FoodCorps, the School Garden Grant program provides a $2,000 monetary grant to support an edible educational garden on the grounds of a K-12 school. Schools, or a nonprofit organization working in partnership with a school, may apply.
Captain Planet Foundation
The Captain Planet Foundation primarily makes grants to U.S.-based schools and organizations with an annual operating budget of less than $3 million. Grants from the Captain Planet Foundation are intended to: Provide hands-on environmental stewardship opportunities for youth, serve as a catalyst to getting environment-based education in schools, and inspire youth and communities to participate in community service through environmental stewardship activities.
Captain Planet Foundation will accept small grant requests for amounts between $500 – $2,500. Preferential consideration is given to requests who have secured at least 50% matching or in-kind funding for their projects. (Projects with matching funds or in-kind support are given priority because external funding is a good indicator of the potential for long-term sustainability of the activities). Captain Planet Foundation may choose to fund a portion of the project budget that best fits within the foundation guidelines or contact an applicant for further discussion.
Annie’s Grants for Gardens
Annie’s offers Grants for Gardens donations to schools and other educational programs that help build school gardens. Since 2008, they’ve directly funded more than 350 gardens, because they believe that gardens help connect kids to real food.
Nature Works Everywhere Garden Grants: The Nature Conservancy
$1,000 to $2,000 grants are available dependent upon the needs of the project. Funds may be used to support the building, amendment, or revitalization of gardens on school campuses, with preference given to rain, pollinator, native habitat, and other natural infrastructure projects. Food gardens will also be funded. Check website for grant cycles and changing information.