Program Testimonials
Kids Say…
I love the school garden. I love the breeze blowing in the trees. I love the flowers blooming. I love the food in the garden. In the fall the leaves are full of colors, I love the sight. In the winter the garden seems magical! In Summer the leaves are as green as peas and it really pleases me. I love the adventures we can have. And all the bugs living there. I love watering and caring for the plants. Kale and chives, mushrooms too - I love it all, don't you?!
- Jennie, 2nd grader
My favorite garden animals are ladybugs, bees, butterflies, caterpillars and some helpful insects. I also like to explore the garden and it makes me feel calm. I love going there on sunny days and looking at it on rainy days. There are a lot of plants and two trees and I love trees. There are many animals and bugs in the garden!
- Alex .G, 2nd grader
I feel happy about the school garden because the garden gives me food. The garden also makes me feel calm. My favorite thing about the garden is bugs they're just so interesting to learn. I like gardening and it makes me really happy. And I also really like plants. Plants give us food too. Without any plants we would probably be dead because plants breathe in air that we don’t breathe and they breathe out air that we breathe.
- Henri G., 2nd grader
There are so many plants in the garden, but my favorite is the corn because I love popcorn! My favorite garden bugs are praying mantises. This garden gives us a part of all of these beautiful flowers that help us live. This garden gives millions of bugs homes and that's why I love it so much!
- Jackson, 2nd grader
The garden is a wonderful place and I feel so relaxed. The garden is very calm and peaceful. Yesterday we released ladybugs in the garden. Do you know why? Because ladybugs eat aphids and aphids hurt our garden. So it's important to have ladybugs in our garden. I hope you love the garden as much as I do!
- Charlotte, 2nd grader
Principals and Teachers Say…
Land to Learn’s SproutEd program has taught our students a love and excitement for gardening, fresh produce and our environment. The students look forward to working with Gardener Mara and are so excited to share what they’ve learned. JFK’s goals this year are to engage students in meaningful learning that is relevant to them; to give every student the opportunity and authority to drive and shape their own learning; and to strengthen family and community relationships. Gardener Mara has become such a valuable member of our community and the SproutEd program is helping us meet all three of these goals. We love SproutEd and feel so lucky to have this partnership in place!
- Melissa Jamieson, Principal, John F. Kennedy Elementary, Kingston
Having the Land to Learn SproutEd Program incorporated into our classroom has been an amazing experience, for not only myself as an educator, but for the students. The curriculum they provide is enriched and a great extension to the one within the classroom. After learning about plant life cycles in the classroom they are able to witness it in the garden and experience the process. The students are able to make connections between the classroom and the world. They have learned about communities working together to source food from the land. It has broadened the students vocabulary and experiences with the environment and food. The hands-on experience is something many students may not have had the opportunity for if not for this program. Ms. Nicole has been a wonderful asset with her positive and warm demeanor. She has created a respectful and open relationship with the students. Each year the students look forward to working with Ms. Nicole and the garden!
- Alicia Grant, Teacher, JV Forrestal, Beacon
Land to Learn is a fabulous, fantastic, and fun-filled educational hands-on program that allows scholars to experience farm-to-table participation in their school. Having been a teacher, who has observed the growth of Land to Learn since its inception, I have witnessed the compassionate, positive, and resourceful activities that the Land to Learn instructors design for all scholars. My scholars always inquire when it is going to be “garden time,” as they eagerly look forward to taking part in the purposeful and relevant NYS Next Gen learning standards-based projects. In closing, Land to Learn is an enthusiastic educational program that allows my scholars to create meaningful connections of real-world experiences to our curriculum of Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems.
- Lynn Kirk, Teacher, Temple Hill Academy, Newburgh
My students love learning about the garden. They seem very interested in what is being taught to them. I have a few students who I know garden at home, and give me beautiful flowers weekly. I also know that my students love participating in creating delicious food from the garden. So much so that they include their families in recreating the garden food at home. Last week, Ms. O taught an amazing lesson. She taught the class about salsa and how to make it using fresh ingredients from the garden. All of my students raved for the entire week about the lesson. We created a challenge for the students to make the recipe at home. Many of them did, and emailed pictures that very night. The following days I received many pictures of my students' homemade salsa. I had two students bring me their salsa to try, and even received a birthday gift of homemade salsa from a student. This lesson was a great success! They all gained the skill of making homemade salsa, and learned that the ingredients can come right from their backyards.
- Ms. Morgan, Teacher, Temple Hill Academy, Newburgh
“{Land to Learn] works with teachers to ensure that garden time furthers academic lessons and meets state standards. We are looking forward to our students having the opportunity to continue to write in garden journals, make salads, plant seeds and try new vegetables.”
- Lisa Buon, Principal, Horizons on Hudson Elementary School, Newburgh
Garden Time is an example of “Best Teaching Practice” in that it connects concepts with concrete and evolving experiences in a fun, scientific way. It has inspired all of the students, many of whom would like to have their own gardens. The program is so much fun and is educational. It should be a part of every school program.
- Deb Joyce, Teacher, 2nd Grade, South Ave, Beacon
The [Land to Learn] program connects our modern day kids to the cycles of the earth, providing authentic, “hands-on” experiences into the fascinating world of growing food. Children’s faces light up as they discover connections between the food they eat and how that food grows! They continue to make those connections between the weekly Garden Time visits. I have observed the [Land to Learn] program grow and flourish over the years of our partnership. My wish is for all students, in all classrooms, to have these experiences and benefit from this wonderful program.
- Louann Joyce, Teacher, 1st Grade, JV Forrestal, Beacon
The [Land to Learn] garden program is an educational, unique and enjoyable program. The educators are very knowledgeable about plants and planting. The students catch on to their enthusiasm and enjoyment of learning about gardening. We, the students and teachers at Sargent School enjoy seeing the seasonal changes in the garden right in our backyard! I think the program and having the garden as a part of the school is also definitely providing an awareness that healthy eating tastes good!
- Kim Asch, Teacher, 2nd Grade, Sargent, Beacon
Parents Say…
My son brought home a heartfelt gift for me. It was a tea bag filled with the harvest of your collective work at school. I have never received a more beautiful, earth-centric, hard-won gift in my life. I absolutely teared up and am so impressed with the holistic learning you're implementing with young students.”
- Stefanie Kostenblatt, Second Grade Parent, Horizons-on-the-Hudson, Newburgh
“My daughter has learned how important it is to grow and eat nutritious food and how we are all responsible for the care of our environment. She comes home from school and explains everything she has learned (in great detail) about planting and nurturing your own garden. These are invaluable lessons that she will carry with her throughout her whole life journey! I only hope that programs like this are offered to more children teaching the importance of growing and eating real food!”
- Allison Sivon, First Grade Parent, Robert R. Graves Elementary School
Program Partners Say…
By bringing their time, resources, and expertise into Beacon's public schools, [Land to Learn] has changed the landscape of healthy eating for our students. Children who learn about vegetables with [Land to Learn] are excited to try those vegetables in their school cafeteria.
- Karen Pagano, Food Service Director, Beacon City School District
Our Club members enjoyed planting vegetables, cooking new foods, and learning outdoors. The garden has become a thriving outdoor learning space and children are always eager to participate in {Land to Learn] activities.
- Kevin White, Executive Director, Boys & Girls Club of Newburgh