Sally Scalera

Brevard County Horticulture Extension Agent
3695 Lake Drive -- Cocoa FL 32926 -- 321-633-1702

School garden competition officially open

Jan. 17, 2009

I have exciting news for teachers and parents of elementary school aged kids. The 12th annual Florida School Garden Competition is now officially open to all Florida elementary (K-5/6) schools including public, private and home schools. The first place winner will receive $500, second place will receive $250 and third place will receive $150. The goal of this competition is to take education beyond the classroom and help teach students about the world around them, growing their own food, how they fit into the natural world and about plants, insects, the weather and science!

School gardens may offer benefits to students that go beyond the classroom. School gardens provide the opportunity for students, teachers, and possibly members of the community to interact. This interaction may allow for an improvement of interpersonal social skills and can teach students how to work cooperatively with each other and their elders. Without proper care and maintenance, gardens can die or become overgrown. Giving students the responsibility to water and care for the plants they grow may instill in them a sense of accountability. Patience is another virtue that students may learn through garden participation, as plants do not grow, flower, or fruit overnight.

As the garden grows and becomes fruitful and beautiful, students can take pride in the efforts they put forth. This pride can help bolster self-esteem and allow students to take pride in the beautification of their school. In this age of urbanization, children's contact with nature is diminishing.

A school garden allows students to work in a non-threatening outdoor environment where they can interact and learn about nature. Studies are finding that students who are allowed to learn in an outdoor environment such as a garden have improved environmental attitudes. School gardens are a wonderful and exciting way to make school subjects more interesting and meaningful to students. School gardens create an environment that allows for creative thought, active learning, and interpersonal skill. The garden is a living entity that can serve as an excellent resource to teach subjects while allowing students to learn in an environment that is atypical to the sterile classrooms to which most students are accustomed.

Teachers throughout the country are discovering how useful and educational a garden can be. School gardens can be used to teach practically every subject covered in an elementary school classroom. The garden is a perfect place for students to learn about plants, insects, weather, and many other science-related lessons. Math lessons, such as measuring, addition and subtraction have ideal applications in the garden. Gardens can also be used to teach social studies, as students can learn about other cultures and how they grow their food and what they eat, as well as where their own food comes from.

The school garden is a canvas of art created by Mother Nature herself, which gives students ideas aplenty to create their own works of art. The list of applicable subjects and possibilities of the garden is endless. A school garden can become an integral part of the classroom and may ultimately improve student learning. Teachers throughout the country are finding that learning in such a way is enjoyable to both the students and themselves.

The competition has three categories of gardens. The single class garden is a garden that is used by just one class. The multiple class garden is one that is used by more than one class or grade, but not by the entire school. The last category, entire school garden, is a garden that is used by all grade levels at the school. Schools with grades higher than 6th grade are ineligible to enter the entire school category. For rules and entry forms visit http://gardeingsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/schoolgardens/. The application packets must be submitted by March 20, 2009.

So, if you have a child in elementary school or you are a teacher who has been thinking about how great a garden would be at your school then maybe now is the time to put that thought into action!