Here are some useful resources and organizations that provide a wealth of information and guidance on growing School Gardens. And, don't forget to call on the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa for free advice!
Publications:
- How to Grow a School Garden—A Complete Guide for Parents and Teachers. Arden Bucklin-Sporer and Rachel Kathleen Pringle, Timber Press, 2010. (*)
- Asphalt to Ecosystems—Design Ideas for Schoolyard Transformation. Sharon Danks, New Village Press, 2010. (*)
- Seeds of Change—Learning from the Garden. Judy Mannes and Marsha Rehns, Dale Seymour Publications, 2001.
- Grow Lab—A Complete Guide to Gardening in the Classroom. Eve Pranis, Jack Hale, and Bruce Conklin, National Gardening Association, 1988.
- Gardens for Learning—Creating and Sustaining Your School Garden. (Online PDF file). One of a series of free resources from the California School Garden Network. (*)
- Children’s Gardens—A Field Guide for Teachers, Parents and Volunteers. Third edition, 1999, Yvonne Savio, ed. (Online PDF file). UC Extension Common Ground Garden Program, Los Angeles.
- Plant a Seed, Watch it Grow—A Guide for School Gardens. (Online hypertext book). Master Gardener Association of San Diego County.
- Getting Started—A Guide for Creating School Gardens as Outdoor Classrooms. (Online PDF file). Center for Ecoliteracy/Life Lab Science Program.
- A Child’s Garden of Standards, Linking School Gardens to California Education Standards (grade 2-6). (Online PDF file). California Department of Education, 2002.
- The Edible Schoolyard. (Online essay). Center for Ecoliteracy.
- Teacher Resource Guide—Educational Materials About Agriculture. (Online PDF file). California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom. (*)
- Schoolyard Ecology—Teachers Guide. Katharine Barrett and Carolyn Willard, Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley.
- Math in the Garden—Hands on Activities That Bring Math to Life. Jennifer White, Katharine Barrett, et al UC Botanical Garden/ Lawrence Hall of Science. (*)
- Botany on Your Plate. Katharine Barrett, UC Botanical Garden. (*)
(*) Highly recommended and readily available
Online resources:
- California School Garden Network: www.csgn.org.
- California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom: www.cfaitc.org.
- California Regional Environmental Education Community (CREEC) Network: www.creec.org.
- California Department of Education: www.cde.ca.gov.
- California Department of Education, CA Environmental Education Interagency Network (CEEIN): www.cde.ca.gov/pd/ca/sc/oeeceein.asp.
- California Environmental Protection Agency, Education and the Environment Initiative (EEI): www.calepa.ca.gov/Education/EEI.
- Junior Master Gardener: www.jmgkids.us.
- National Gardening Association, Kids Gardening: http://www.kidsgardening.org/.
- National Gardening Association, Gardening with Kids online store: www.gardeningwithkids.org.
- UC Davis School Gardening Program (formerly Children’s Garden Program): https://asi.ucdavis.edu/programs/sf/children-and-youth/school-gardening-program.
- UC Master Gardener Programs: Consult various MG websites. For instance, Marin County has site content dedicated to school gardens.
- The Watershed Project: www.thewatershedproject.org.
Where to obtain instructional materials, supplies, etc.:
- Acorn Naturalists: Catalog of books, supplies, etc. for environment-based education.
- The Watershed Project: Bay Area based nonprofit organization providing classes (Kids in Gardens, Groceries from the Garden) and educational materials.
- California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom (CFAITC). Publishes a resource guide (listed above), provides instructional material and lesson plans available online.
- Lawrence Hall of Science and UC Botanical Garden: These organizations partner bi-annually to present a workshop on school gardens.
- Bay Area Environmental Education Resource (BAEER) Fair: An annual exposition of environmental groups, classes, etc. held in Marin County each January. The BAEER Fair is no longer available; consult the following for other environmental education resources in the Bay Area: http://static.lawrencehallofscience.org/baeerfair/
- The Edible Schoolyard: The one-acre school garden at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School in Berkeley. Free monthly tours are available.