 |
School Garden Mentors Build Bridges to Learning...and More
Photo by Callie Powell
|
This month, we focus on several approaches for using mentors to inspire and support school gardens, student learning, and busy teachers. From teens to seniors, community mentors – as well as their young charges – reap concrete and intangible rewards from building these relationships. In fact, research studies on these partnerships point to a host of positive outcomes in attitudes, social skills, personal growth, academic achievement, and more. Below you will find articles spotlighting some inspirational programs to help you consider how a mentoring effort could enhance your own school garden.
Teen Mentors and Third Graders Flourish in Literacy Garden
English and biology teacher Keli Bryan imagined some fertile connections: Create a service learning project in which tenth graders serve as mentors to the third grade reading class by using gardening literature and curricula.
Matching Mentors with School Gardeners in Austin
The community-based Sustainable Food Center (SFC) matches teachers who need help with trained mentors who can deliver it.
Connecting Generations: Mentor Program Helps Seniors and Students Thrive
Engaging older adults as volunteer mentors in school gardens to improve the emotional and physical health of the seniors and youth while building garden-to-neighborhood bridges.
Preparing School Garden Coordinators in Portland, OR
A hands-on training by the nonprofit organization Growing Gardens prepares educators and volunteers to serve as school garden coordinators.
What's New?
Family Room: Gardening with Creative Containers
Plan a ‘yard sale adventure’with your children in search of creative garden containers.
Visit
our Kids Garden News page to find out about funding opportunities,
gardening resources, professional development,
and more.
Miss an issue? Check out the Archives of Kids Garden News.
|
|
|
|
Seeking
inspiration or advice?
Use
our Digging Deeper Search.
Subscribe to Kids
Garden
News
We'll
send you monthly e-mail updates of available grants, educational
resources, youth gardening conferences, and more.
Read
the current issue online.
Catch up on back
issues
Featured Book:Sowing the Seeds of Wonder
Through hands-on activities from the educators at Life Lab, preschool-age children will engage all of their senses as they discover the joys of gardening. Learn more and order here.
Fundraise
with Flower Bulbs: Earn 50% Profit
 Looking
for a "healthy" and alluring option for raising funds for
your school? NGA endorses the Flower
Power Program. It features easy-to-grow spring-flowering
bulbs and is a good deal to boot; your school gets to keep
50% of the profits. Click
here to learn more.
More
Garden Activities
and Lessons
Mountain Adventures
This curriculum is designed to introduce students in grades 5-8 to the role and importance of native plants in the United States and abroad.
Cultivating Literacy in the Garden
A collection of articles highlighting how educators have created garden-based writing opportunities and used children's fiction to exercise imaginations, inspire growing projects, and improve literacy skills.
|
-lo.jpg)
