Land to Learn’s ToolShed offers resources, training, and consulting services to help schools and educators start a garden-based education program. We provide effective curriculum, gardening support, and guidance in implementing garden-based programming.

RESOURCE AVAIABLE FOR PURCHASE:

CLICK THE DONATE BUTTON BELOW TO PURCHASE LtL’s Garden Education Resource Package for $300!

What’s included in the downloadable Garden Education Resource Package?

  • Learning Garden Handbook: all of our tips & tricks for creating educational garden spaces

  • Guide for recruiting and working with volunteers:

  • Vegetable of the Month Program Guide: a comprehensive manual for starting a cafeteria program that promotes nutrition my featuring a monthly vegetable

  • Curriculum: 32 garden-based lesson plans for grades K-5, and 7 lesson plans for grades 6-8              

    • The lessons include engaging activities, are based on Experiential Education philosophy, and offer specific suggestions for facilitating democratic learning processes.

    • All of the lessons can be implemented without a garden, though some do require an outdoor space.

    • Lessons follow a year-long, thematic arc that correlates with seasonal changes of temperate climates, though could be done anywhere.

    • All lesson materials are linked in the lesson plans and included as printable PDFs, or some can be used digitally.

The Curriculum also includes:

  • a list of activities for further connecting garden learning with math, literacy, and geography

  • a matrix that shows how the lessons align with NextGeneration curricular standards

  • a description of various teaching methods and pedagogies

  • a garden-based vocabulary list

  • a garden-based book list resources for funding educational garden projects

Here is a sample lesson plan: Discovering Insects is a lesson we do in springtime out in school gardens, but can also be done indoors.

CLICK THE DONATE BUTTON BELOW TO PURCHASE LtL’s Garden Education Resource Package for $300!

HIRE US!

What kind of garden consultation services does Land to Learn provide?

  • We can tailor our services to your needs. Services may include:

    • supporting with fundraising to cover costs of the school garden, such as help with completing grant applications

    • helping to organize a garden build day with students and/or volunteers

    • creating a garden budget that includes products and vendor information

    • designing the garden space and creating a planting plan

  • We can be there to help build a garden, but will not be available for continued maintenance. 

  • We will be available for ongoing assistance via phone/email to answer any questions that may come up related to gardening and garden-based education.

What does a Land to Learn professional development workshop look like?

  • The goals of the workshops are to prepare teachers to use the school garden as an educational space and to feel supported in their journey of teaching our curriculum and/or applying their own ideas. 

  • We facilitate collaborative learning experiences and share resources that provide support, ideas, and inspiration for implementing garden-based education while meeting teaching goals and learning targets.

  • Our experienced educators demonstrate various activities while modeling a learner-centered approach to facilitating lessons. 

  • Teachers have hands-on opportunities to participate in lesson activities.

  • We cover basic gardening information and techniques.

WHY DO YOU NEED OUR SUPPORT?

Over 10 years of implementing garden-based education in the Hudson Valley have taught us that it is difficult to develop a successful, long-term garden program without outside support. There are many reasons why school gardens programs falter and fall into disrepair:

  • Teachers and administrators need support in finding ways to link the garden to state learning standards. Teaching in a garden can feel overwhelming at first. Even the most experienced teacher may struggle to see how the school garden can tie into a school day without taking away from something else- like an ELA or Math block. We offer a 3-part professional development series to prepare teachers for success in using a garden space to teach with our curriculum, as well as creating opportunities for teaching their own lessons using the garden. Our ToolShed professional development workshops cultivate a cohort of trained teachers to use the garden for years to come! 

  • The care of a garden requires long-term planning. Many school gardens grow out of the work of a select few active parents or an excited teacher, watering and weeding with love. While this is a great way to start, we have found that these garden champions often move on after a few years- maybe their child aged out of the school, or the family shifted focus to sports, or the teacher retired or swapped schools. This results in the garden falling into disrepair rather quickly, and leaves schools to wait for a new champion to emerge to revitalize the space. We offer consultation services that help get your garden built and develop a long-term maintenance strategy to ensure the space stays user-friendly for students and staff, even if one or two champions move on. 

  • What about summer? Aren’t gardens the most productive over the summer months when school is out? Yes. This is a huge issue with many school gardens in colder climates. We will help you develop a robust volunteer program to plant seeds and water the space over the summer months. We also provide a Garden Education Resource Package that includes a crop plan specifically timed for spring and fall harvests for students and teachers to enjoy the harvest!

To learn more contact Nicole Porto:

nicole@landtolearn.org (845) 765-8899