Being outside in the garden is the best place to engage the senses and develop social emotional skills.
Author: The School Garden Doctor
Carrie Strohl is the founder and leader of The School Garden Doctor, a nonprofit established in 2018 to empower teachers, schools, and communities to grow school gardens that enhance science education, nurture wellness, and foster environmental literacy. She holds a Ph.D. in science education from the University of California, Davis, where she researched cooking and gardening in schools.
Core Principles Series: Engage with Worms, Bees, Chickens, and Other Animals
Early exposure to organisms builds empathy for living things and teaches about life cycles, ecosystem dynamics, and predator/prey relationships.
Core Principles Series: Let the Kids Be the Gardeners
It’s helpful to give kids some direction, but they need opportunities to try things out and make mistakes.
Core Principles Series: Build Self-Efficacy
When a newly planted seed germinates or a freshly harvested radish is eaten, kids wear success in their smiles.
Core Principles Series: Make Connections to Home and Community
A class field trip to the farmers market illustrates just one of the many connections to home and community made with garden-based education.
Core Principles Series: Immerse Yourself in Nature
Spend just 20 minutes a day immersed in nature to boost overall health.
Core Principles Series: Let the Garden Be the Teacher
A garden is a living system, which means lessons must be dynamic, flexible, and in tune with seasonal cycles and natural patterns.
Core Principles Series: Engage Kids in Meaningful Fitness
Meaningful fitness “exercises” the mind and body at the same time.
Core Principles Series: Utilize an Integrated Curriculum
Throughout 2022, I’ll be sharing Nathan Larson’s 15 “Core Principles of Garden-Based Education,” using them as an organizing frame for reflecting on the school garden movement in Napa County.
Inspired by Two Mission-Driven Businesses
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.
Confessions of a Halloween Trickster
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.
Building Resilience with Robust Vision
School gardens with a robust vision are more likely to build resilience in the wake of many challenges.
Four Keys to Grant Collaboration: A Farm-to-School Success Story
Farm to School recently announced record-setting funding for feeding and teaching kids. Read these tips as you think about your grant proposal.
A Somber Summer Solstice
To celebrate organizations who are leading the way in the face of social inequity and racial injustice in outdoor education, this month’s post highlights curated resources for building resilience and confronting silence.
Extolling the Virtues of a Snail
If the snail is already not your favorite animal, Escargot would like you to reconsider.
Gleaning the Field 