Gardening for Grades Workshops in Duval County

Abstract

Due to the number of requests to help start school gardens, Duval County Extension in cooperation with Ag in the Classroom, Nutrients for Life Foundation, and Duval County Farm Bureau offered Gardening for Grades workshops to area teachers and school volunteers. Two 6-h workshops were attended by 71 individuals. Instructors led participants in activities that connected science, math, and literature with the garden using workbooks along with hands-on learning activities. Teachers left with workbooks and plants to start a small school garden. Exit evaluations indicated participants were more familiar with ways school garden activities meet the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards and were more confident planning a school garden. Based on follow-up surveys, total garden area added was 12,214 sq ft and 2,292 students benefited from the gardens. Twenty-three indicated that students ate the vegetables and fruit from the garden. Of those, 92.9% of the students were exposed to some of the foods for the first time, 64.3% think the gardening program improved the students’ eating habits, and 64.3% indicated it increased the students’ physical activity; 100% (n=29) stated the books were helpful in implementing the gardening program.