2026 Growing School Gardens Summit Webinar Series
About the Webinar Series
KidsGardening is partnering with the School Garden Support Organization Network to help you bring the learnings of the 2026 Growing School Gardens Summit home with this six-month webinar series featuring a variety of presentations from the summit.
Full Lineup Coming Soon!
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All presenters are compensated for sharing their expertise, generously funded by the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation.
Each presentation was a part of the 2026 Growing School Gardens Summit, hosted by the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation in partnership with Life Lab and the SGSO Network.
Join us to share in the learning!
Writing and Dancing in the Garden
with Regi Jones of Life Lab
Participants will gather online to explore what happens when art and gardens meet. Together, we'll share ideas and practical approaches for bringing creativity into outdoor learning spaces. Through conversation and a guided activity, participants will experience how the garden can become a place for storytelling, observation, and artistic expression. During the session, we’ll also model a simple activity that blends English Language Arts and the fine arts, showing how theatre, writing, and singing in the garden can spark curiosity and deepen student engagement.
Registration information coming soon!
Growing Healthy Habits: Garden-Based Learning in Early Childhood
with Tamiko McCullough of Wake County Smart Start
Gardening offers young children meaningful opportunities to explore nature, develop healthy eating habits, and engage in hands-on learning. This session will highlight practical ways early childhood educators can integrate garden-based learning into their programs to support nutrition education, outdoor play, and curiosity about where food comes from.
Participants will explore strategies for starting and maintaining simple garden spaces, engaging children in planting and harvesting activities, and connecting garden experiences to cooking and tasting opportunities. The presentation will also share examples from early childhood programs that have successfully incorporated gardening to support healthy habits and outdoor learning.
Registration information coming soon!
Deshaciendo Fronteras A Travez de Comida Y Historia Alternativa / Undoing Borders Through Food and Alternative History
with Genesis Mena of VC Farm to School and Ocean View School District
In this lesson, attendees will participate in a combination history lesson and cooking class to learn how food can bring history to life for students. We will discuss the history of the Bracero program in Southern California through the narrative of one young Bracero who ate Sopa de Fideo (noodle soup) for breakfast, lunch and dinner during his time as a farmworker. I will cook Sopa de Fideo and while our soup is cooking I will go over best practices for cooking with students. Participants will leave our session with resources for how to host a cooking class in their school, history lesson and a recipe.
Registration information coming soon!
Rooted in Connection: Cultivating SEL Through School Gardening
with Erica Curry of Row by Row and Michelle Markesteyn of Oregon State University
Dig deeper into the transformative power of garden-based education. In this session, participants will explore how school garden activities nurture core social-emotional learning (SEL) skills such as self-awareness, emotional regulation, responsible decision-making, and relationship-building. Grounded in SEL frameworks, this workshop equips educators and program leaders with practical strategies and resources. Through presentation, collaborative discussion, and resource sharing, you'll leave with fresh ideas and adaptable tools to cultivate meaningful, student-centered learning in your own garden spaces. Whether you're sowing the first seeds or stewarding a mature program, come ready to engage, create, and connect.
Registration information coming soon!
Fostering Belonging for Neurodiverse Youth in Garden Spaces
with Katie Lamoreaux of Youth Garden Project
During this webinar, we will explore what it means to foster belonging for neurodiverse youth and discuss ways to adapt garden‑based programs to better meet participants’ needs. We'll begin with an overview of the core principles of belonging, then build on that foundation to examine how these ideas can be applied to support neurodiverse youth in garden settings. Through conversations around language considerations, practical tools and strategies, and common barriers within garden spaces, participants will gain resources and insights to support them in adapting their programs. Fostering belonging for neurodiverse youth is a complex and evolving topic! By learning alongside fellow professionals, we can strengthen the experiences we offer and leave with actionable strategies to bring back to our organizations.
Registration information coming soon!
Culture and Connection: Making a Puerto Rican Herbal Remedy
with Marlia Bosques Martínez of Plenitud PR
In this interactive virtual workshop, participants will explore the cultural and practical uses of medicinal plants by learning how to make alcoholado, a traditional Puerto Rican herbal remedy used to relieve common ailments. The session begins with a brief introduction on the importance of integrating traditional knowledge into education, followed by a short story highlighting the cultural significance of alcoholado in Puerto Rican communities. Participants will observe or follow along with a live, step-by-step demonstration using accessible herbs like malagueta, mint, coffee leaves, and rosemary, with opportunities to engage through chat and reflection prompts. The workshop concludes with a discussion on adapting the activity for various learning objectives, and participants will receive downloadable bilingual resources, including a recipe card, plant guide, materials list, and journaling prompts.
Registration information coming soon!
Past webinars
Looking for past webinar offerings? You can find them all on our Crowdcast page!
