4-H PROJECT GREEN TEACHER
School Gardening Newsletter--Winter 2018
Project Green Teacher School Garden Series for Educators Set for June 11-13
Columbus Spring Home & Garden Show Celebrates Teachers with Free Admission and Special Programs
The Columbus Spring Home & Garden Show, hosted by Ohio Mulch, celebrates K-12 teachers with a free admission offer when the show opens on February 19-23rd. Topics of interest to school gardeners will be offered on the 19th, including a presentation on how to start a school garden and information about pollinators. OSU Master Gardener volunteers will be on hand to answer questions, as well. Also this year, each of the ten fully landscaped backyard gardens will bring to life a different children's storybook -- Storybook Gardens. Tied to this theme, the Home & Garden show will celebrate teachers in recognition of the vital and important role they play in helping children become lifelong readers. Teachers (K-12) from area school districts who present their valid ID on Monday Feb.19 will receive one free admission. The show is closed on Tuesday Feb. 20.
Visit--https://www.dispatchshows.com/spring-home-and-garden-show/#spring-home-garden-show-welcome
Your Garden Questions, Answered
Ohio Trees for Bees
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/ent-71
Teacher Feature: Susan Hrenko, Worthington Schools
Each season a different school gardener in Ohio will be featured in the newsletter. This season's featured teacher is Susan Hrenko who answered the following questions:
Name: Susan Hrenko
School: Worthington Schools
Educational Position: Intervention Specialist
How long have you been engaged in school gardening? Since 2005
How did you get started? I was fairly new to Worthington Schools and was teaching a modified science curriculum for students with disabilities. The Science Department Lab Assistant showed me the school greenhouse facility that was not being used by the science department due to changes in their curriculum. In the 2005-06 school year, I wrote two grants to get started cleaning up the facility and purchasing tools. Students started with planting seeds and bulbs for campus beautification projects that then led into growing over 1800 plants to sell/raise funds at an environmental community outreach event called “Green on the Green”. It was inspiring to see students that were struggling in the academic setting being successful with public engagement and excitement about the gardening experience.
What was the most memorable moment you had teaching your students in the garden?
A student that was not particularly fond of the gardening experiences during high school later saw my parent volunteer in her neighborhood and talked about how much she learned about growing plants and that she did not realize how wonderful the greenhouse was until she had graduated and was no longer part of the class experience. She was grateful in the end!
Why is school gardening an important educational tool for teachers?
Gardening is not only a means to teach academic skills, but can be carried throughout life. Some of our first experiences of gardening are as children and we continue to connect with the earth in our adult lives. Many of our students do not have such experiences since food sources are purchased from grocery stores. I work in a very diverse school setting with low to high socio-economic levels. Students on both spectrums and in-between have never seen a seed germinate into a plant for beautification or food. These are life-long skills and leisure activities.
What advice do you have for those wanting to start a school garden?
1) Make connections with important people: building administrator, district administration, curriculum leaders, staff, parent volunteers, local businesses, etc.
2) Promote your program – get the word out – “brag a bit”…no one else will do it for you.
3) Develop a “Branding” or Logo for program recognition.
4) Take lots of pictures to prepare presentations to return the “Thank You” for supporting the gardening program to supporters.
4-H Project Green Teacher Winter 2018
Email: hogan.239@osu.edu
Website: franklin.osu.edu
Location: 530 West Spring Street, Suite 275, Columbus, OH 43215, United States
Phone: 614-866-6900
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/projectgreenteacher
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