School gardens are an amazing way to connect children with nature and the food they eat. They provide a context for multidisciplinary learning ranging from nutrition, environment, and science to social studies, math, and language arts.

Studies have shown:

Children who learn about food and nutrition via an active role in gardening are more likely to eat the fruit and vegetables they grow.
Children who cook and prepare fresh food from scratch are more inclined to appreciate healthier and more varied ingredients.
Children who garden show improvement in test scores, behavioral problems, and emotional issues.

How to get your school garden started

There are many organizations available to help you organize, design and implement your school garden curriculum. The links below are just a few examples to help guide you through the process. First, build a team to help coordinate activities and lessons for the school garden and then determine a budget. Team members can come from a variety of areas including your PTO organization, local Rotary and garden clubs, service and veteran organizations, 4-H, Ameri-Corp, local Boy Scout and Girl Scouts, and your local County Extension office.

school garden

School garden resources

The following groups are all about helping expand the network of school gardens. From curriculum to fundraising, creative hands-on activities and more, these organizations are a great place to get you started on your gardening adventure!

Captain Planet ~ Organization promoting outdoor classrooms and lesson plans.

Florida Ag in the Classroom ~ Comprehensive guide for Florida teachers to help plan, fund, create and learn with a school garden.

School Gardens ~ Learning gardens that grow successful students.

Green Schools Alliance ~ Empowering schools to create a generation of environmental stewards.

National Gardening Association ~ Promotes youth gardening programs – “one child, one school, and one community at a time.”

Kids Gardening ~ Great resource, including school and community garden resources and grants.

Sustainable Schools Project ~ Starter kit with lessons and ideas for school gardens.

Green Education Foundation ~ Free sustainability lessons and guides for students K-12.

Farm to School ~ A national advocacy and networking hub for school gardens.

Big Green ~ A foundation formed by Kimbal Musk to install and implement outdoor learning gardens in schools across the country.

Fleet Farming ~ Orlando, Florida area only

Fundraising resources

Students can host their own fundraising activities or seek financial support from others. PTO organizations might have funds to help supplement your school garden, as might Rotary groups and garden clubs. Many local businesses will support outdoor learning classrooms as will garden centers by way of donating supplies. Grants are available from the following organizations, too.

Florida Ag in the Classroom ~ K-12

Fresh from Florida ~ K-12

Annie’s ~ K-12

Hydro Harvest Farms ~ Various

Florida Farm Bureau ~ Middle and High schools

Lowes Toolbox for Education ~ K-12

Whole Kids Foundation ~ K-12

Herb Society of America ~ Herb gardens

Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education ~ Butterfly gardens

Literacy for Life ~ California K-12

Action for Healthy Kids ~ Physical Activity and Nutrition

The Bee Cause ~ Beekeeping and STEAM Ed K-12