Spring 2021: Designing a Garden of/for/by Children

April is National Garden Month! Celebrate by joining a three-part series focused on the most important factors to consider when designing a Garden of/for/by Children.

All sessions take place from 4:15-5:30 on the second Thursday of each month. RSVP below to receive the secure Zoom link.

• April 15th: The UC Master Gardeners of Napa County are engaged in an epic partnership with the City of Napa Parks and Recreation Department to develop a learning garden at Las Flores Community Center. The Las Flores Learning Garden will have 2500-square foot area designated for children. A small, but mighty team of volunteers is currently drafting a design. View the recording here.
• May 13th: Involving Students in the Design Process by Louann Talbert. Retired middle school science, culinary, and garden teacher, Louann, developed a project-based learning approach to involving students in designing, expanding, and evaluating garden spaces.
• June 10th: Designing a garden that can withstand the summer. From planting fewer crops to negotiating volunteer schedules, gardens need some summer care. Take away tips for reducing the burden of school gardens in the summer.

Winter 2021: Take Time for Yourself with Houseplants for Health

Did you know that house plants have many benefits? From improving air quality to increasing attention, indoor gardening has been shown to impact health in positive ways. Slough off the stress of 2020 by turning over a new leaf…literally!

On January 18th The School Garden Doctor offered an introductory session to the benefits of house plants for health and education. The one-hour session included self-care as well as teaching strategies from Horticulture@Home, a STEM-based program that takes the Dirt Girls indoors. You can view the slides from the session here.

The second session of Houseplants for Health was held on Monday, February 15th. It included tips for self-care and plant-care, with a focus on light.

Final Session in this Series!  The last Houseplants for Health will focus on indoor plant watering tips, especially for succulents. Possible dates are: Saturday, March 27th (10 am) or Tuesday, March 30th anytime.

Submit the form below to indicate the date/time that works best for you. Zoom link will be sent via Google Calendar upon registration.

Fall 2020: Eat, Read, Talk & Write Your Way to Food Literacy!

In the course, Connecting Home and School through Food Education, participants learn about the program Common Core Cooking, which was designed in 2016 to teach food literacy. Educators will explore five themes that guide high-quality, integrated food education, sample lessons from each theme, and develop their own scope and sequence for building classroom community through cuisine. To learn more, visit the curriculum homepage.

Interested in future professional learning opportunities? Visit the Professional Learning homepage for descriptions of past workshops and events, then submit a request below.

Latest Blog Posts

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  Inspired by Two Mission-Driven BusinessesDecember 22, 2021
  I’ve doubled down since the pandemic and centered my teaching on the science of stress, self-care as a radical act of resistance, and trauma-informed practices.
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  Guest Post: A Call to Action for School Garden Educators and Supporters AlikeNovember 15, 2021
  Given the challenges schools have faced in the last two years, garden teachers (and kids) need more support from the community than ever before.
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  Confessions of a Halloween TricksterOctober 31, 2021
  Truth be told, I’ve never handed out candy for trick-or-treat. I prefer to share garden treats instead. Find out what this year’s trick will be.
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  Building Resilience with Robust VisionAugust 28, 2021
  School gardens with a robust vision are more likely to build resilience in the wake of many challenges.
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  Four Keys to Grant Collaboration: A Farm-to-School Success StoryJuly 18, 2021
  Farm to School recently announced record-setting funding for feeding and teaching kids. Read these tips as you think about your grant proposal.