If you know me, you know that I am passionate about teaching children to garden.
I want kids to understand where their food comes from. I want them to get outside in nature and away from the video and TV screens. I feel this is important for many reasons – but mostly, I feel that if children do not get outside in nature and in the garden, they are less likely to want to preserve it.
By gardening, growing their own food and getting their hands in the soil, kids will have a compassion for all things green. We can't let them lose this connection.
I am very involved in Educational Gardens here in Los Angeles. I have spent the last few years helping to create and maintain gardens in public schools and use them within the core curriculum.
With a new school year upon us, many people are thinking of doing the same thing. I am getting lots of questions about where to go for basic information.
If you are interested in school gardens, here are some resources to help you get started:
1) A great resource that collects gardening news and information is Kidsgardening.org. This great website is run by the National Gardening Association and has lists of classroom projects, a primer for parents, and even a list of grants from organizations who put a premium on kid's gardening.
The site also has a store which sells supplies, tools, seeds, worms, and books: I recommend Schoolyard Mosaics: Designing Gardens and Habitats as a great starter book.
2) My home state has a great resource called the California School Garden Network. But even if you don't live in California, this website is extremely helpful. It contains information for a curriculum based on gardening, contains videos with gardening tips, and has many free PDF downloads! My favorite is called Gardens for Learning: Creating and Sustaining Your School Garden. I highly recommend it!
3) Recently, we filmed an entire episode of Growing A Greener World at the Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley, California. Besides being beautiful, educational, and delicious, the Edible Schoolyard has dedicated itself to helping others build gardens as well. You can purchase two very useful books at their site: the first is called The Garden Companion: Inside the Edible Schoolyard Classroom and the second is called The Kitchen Companion: Inside the Edible Schoolyard Classroom.
4) And last, but certainly not least, I highly recommend you watch our episode on The Edible Schoolyard. We showcase the whole story of this amazing place and how they are truly creating the next generation of young stewards of the earth.
About the Author
Theresa Loe blogs here about taking the garden full circle while striving for a more local, fresh-from-the-garden lifestyle. She is a TV producer, video host, freelance garden writer and a wrangler of chickens and children. (Not necessarily in that order.) For more information on these topics, you can subscribe to her free monthly newsletter.
Theresa Loe is the award- winning Co-Executive Producer & Canning Expert on Growing A Greener World TV. She blogs here about Living Homegrown®, local and fresh-from-the-garden. 
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Keep up the good work. When I have a farm, soon hopefully, I will offer classes for children. I want to teach them about the food they eat and how it is grown. Educating our young is the best way to change the way we live!
Michelle,
That is so cool! I sure wish I had a farm. And what a great way to “grow” young gardeners. I am very excited about your upcoming projects. Keep me posted!
~Theresa
You KNOW The Soil Sisters link to thesoilsisters.com love school gardens! Thanks for posting about them. I know it’s one of your passions, too. *hugs*
Thank you Kylee. You and I are on the same page here. But then I find that you and I are on the same page for most everything! HA!
Keep doing what you are doing my friend. [Hugs back at ya]
~Theresa
Kylee,
Your link in your comment above seems to be broken, but I knew which post you were referring to. I am reposting it here to see if it works:
link to thesoilsisters.com
Yes, that one works. I will fix the one in your comment too.
Thanks for these – I’m going to check them out. I run a school gardening club in the UK and am always on the look out for inspiration!
Yeah Deb!
I am so glad to hear you are running a school garden club. Way to go!
~Theresa
Hi Theresa, Just discovered your blog and love it! I’ve reviewed and written a blog post about the Nourish Middle School Curriculum, “Where Our Food Comes From”, which includes a link to download it. It’s completely free to anyone interested.
link to urbangardensolutions.wordpress.com
-Rachael