Inspired to start a gardening program for kids at your school or elsewhere?
The American Horticultural Society has just teamed up with Cornell University to update their FREE online guide to starting gardening programs for children. Titled Sowing the Seeds of Success: How to Start and Sustain a Kids’ Gardening Project in your Community,” the 160-page downloadable guide is designed to address “the increased interest in school and community garden projects and the troubling issues of food insecurity and nature deficit disorder.”
It can be used by communities anywhere in North America and around the world. The guide includes sections designed for different audiences, along with relevant activities, program tools, and links to additional resources.
Fiona Doherty of the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell sees the guide as a resource for empowering youth with the confidence and “skills to become our next generation of environmental stewards.”
Get your guide at www.gardening.cals.cornell.edu. For more resources for starting a school garden, check out our blog post on School Garden Resources for Teachers. If you’re not a teacher, but want to help one out with tons of lesson plans and other practical help for getting kids outside of the classroom to learn, feel free to share!