School and youth gardening is widely recognized as an educational tool that can improve academic achievement and improve the quality of life of students involved in gardening learning activities.
A 1999 Texas A&M University study found that elementary school students who participated in school gardening activities scored significantly higher on achievement tests than students who did not participate in any educational activities about gardening.
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This study also showed that teachers view the school garden as an effective tool for improving school performance, physical activity and healthy eating habits. In 2009, researchers at Cornell University found that school gardening had a positive effect on the quantity and variety of vegetables consumed by high school students.
Because of these and other positive outcomes associated with school and youth gardening, many schools in Greater Columbus are developing and expanding school gardening programs. Columbus City Schools developed a successful school gardening program, with flower beds now located in 64 school buildings across the district, with plans to add flower beds to 20 more schools this fall, according to Cathy Young, CCS Farm-to-School and Nutrition coordinator. . . .
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Conference on Planned School Gardens
To help teachers, principals, parents, and other community members develop and support youth gardening projects in the school and community, The Ohio State University 4-H Youth Development Program sponsors the 8th School Gardening Conference from 9:00 a.m. 3:30 p.m. on October 28 at the National and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center on the USO campus, 2201 Fred Taylor Drive.
The conference will present strategies that teachers and others can use to develop school gardening projects and integrate gardening into their school programs and activities to raise content standards and improve student achievement.
Opening speech of the head of state
The keynote speech at the conference will be given by Whitney Cohen of Life Lab, a school gardening support and education organization based in Santa Cruz, California. Cohen is the Director of Education for the Life Lab and a nationally recognized leader in horticultural education. In addition to her commitment to school gardens, she has experience in field surveys and training; Strategies for engaging different learners; Environmental education in public schools.
Cohen organizes workshops for teachers and directs the School Gardens Support Organization's National Leadership Institute. She is the author of Gardening Projects for Kids, The Food Scouts Handbook and The American Heart Association's Gardening Guide. Cohen is a former university science teacher, who holds a bachelor's degree in community sustainability from Vassar College and a master's degree. in Education from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
© Photo courtesy of Mike HoganConference Topics
Conference participants will have the opportunity to learn from teachers and professionals working with schools and nurseries on a wide range of topics, including:
- Squeeze Spreading in Shared Classroom and Shared Classroom Tips and Tricks: Ashley Dolin Smith and Justin Rodriguez; Dublin City Schools
- Youth Gardening in Columbus Schools: Cathy Young, Columbus Schools
- Cooking in the Classroom: Bianca Blakely, OSU Supplement
- Bring the animals to the schoolyard: Jim Reading, Granville Exempt Village School District
- Gardening: Marsha Armstrong, Principal Gardener Volunteer
- Early Childhood Gardening: Lynn Steinhaus, Child Care Academy
- Early Pollination Gardens: Molly Gasway, Community Food Initiatives
- Garden Pests: Pam Bennett, Ohio State University Extension
- Use of the Junior Master Gardener in an out-of-school program: Sabine Kuhn, Deb Rinto and Karen Middendorf, Master Gardener Volunteers
- Useful Plants in a School Garden: Mary Griffith, USDA.
- Shared message with School Garden: Susan Mueller, Chief Volunteer Gardener
- Gardening After School: Beth Urban, Community Impact
- #Real School Food - How Educators Can Integrate School Gardens and Dining: Jolene Walker, Bronzeville Farmers Market, Agricultural Academy
- Gardening with Young People at Franklin Park Conservatory: Sean MacKay and Jenny Wizinski, Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Garden
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As a welcome addition to the day, Ohio School Gardens, a school garden and youth support organization, will work with conference attendees to create local school gardens support networks across the state.
Conference registration
School Garden Conference registration costs $65 and includes continental breakfast, lunch, and all program materials. Register by October 21 at go.osu.edu/4hsgc22. For more information, contact Sue Hogan at hogan.239@osu.edu.
School gardens bring communities together through a shared experience of planting, harvesting, cooking and more. Learn about the diversity the garden offers, including zoo animals and insects, different ways to prepare nutritious food from harvest, educational methods for K-12 students, and more at the 8th School Garden Conference.
Mike Hogan is an associate professor at Ohio State University and a lecturer at OSU Extension.
hogan.1@osu.edu
This article originally appeared in The Columbus Dispatch: Conference to focus on the benefits of gardening programs for schools and youth.
