PHS Press Release –
Green City Teachers At Work
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) will lead more than 25 teachers in creating a school garden as part of its Green City Teachers program on Wednesday, July 9th at Hackett School, 2161 E. York Street. The event will start at 10AM.
Now in its second year and made possible with funding form the Burpee Foundation, Green City Teachers shows Philadelphia-area teachers how to incorporate horticulture and environmental education into their curriculums. Burpee recently awarded PHS $50,000 to continue the program for a third year.
In light of global warming, childhood obesity, and rising costs of food, an increasing number of teachers in Philadelphia- and across the country- are interested in creating school gardens to connect students to the environment and improve science and nutrition education.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention is studying school gardens as a way to promote a more nutritious diet and boost produce consumption, according to an October 25, 2007 article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. In 1992, the National Gardening Association conducted a study of third- and fifth- grade classrooms using GrowLabs and the GrowLab curriculum. GrowLab classrooms scored significantly higher than control classrooms in students’ understanding of key life science concepts and science inquiry skills. More recently, studies from Tufts University and Auburn University showed that students who participate in a school garden program eat a broader variety and larger amount of vegetables at home and at school than those who don’t.
According to PHS, more than 100 schools in Philadelphia now have a garden space. Green City Teachers helps teachers learn how to create a school garden habitat, grow vegetables, care for trees,
and grow plants indoors. The program also aims to create a network among teachers so they can help each other cvercome challenges of creating and maintaining a school garden.
“Two years ago, I started with an idea,” said Brendan Peterson, a teacher at St. Francis Xavier School in Fairmount and a recent graduate of Green City Teachers. “Now we have a garden, raised beds, and a pumpkin patch. It’s because of the support from PHS and the parents that got involved. It’s only going to get better.”
To date, Philadelphia Green has trained 125 teachers as part of its Green City Teachers program. Inspired learning has occurred at schools across Philadelphia including McKinley, Penn Alexander, Longstreth, and St. Francis Xavier. Teachers say the gardens teach children how to nurture life, act more kindly to each other and boosts confidence.
Chuck Lafferty, a teacher and garden enthusiast at Longstreth, said creating a school garden wasn’t easy but was worth the effort. “No child left behind?” he said. “No child left inside as far as I’m concerned.”
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, a not-for-profit organization, was founded in 1827 and is America’s first horticultural society. Through its membership program, events, horticultural library and outreach efforts, the Society motivates people to improve the quality of life and create a sense of community through horticulture. PHS produces the world-class Philadelphia Flower Show, offers hundreds of gardening programs year-round and is considered the nation’s foremost authority on urban renewal through greening.
Other links: www.kidsgardening.org and www.edibleschoolyard.org.
2008-07-07 10:12:16
