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Hands-on experiences in the garden provide young children and the Head Start community with a multitude of benefits! This course gives early educators interested in bringing gardening to their programs a basic understanding of how to get started, including guidance on seeking funding to support their project.

All Head Start/Early Head Start programs work to create community, encourage healthy habits, and teach children and families new skills. A garden is the perfect way to meet all three of those objectives! Garden Basics, a course offered in partnership with The Scotts-Miracle Gro Foundation and KidsGardening through the GroMoreGood Initiative, gives early educators interested in bringing gardening to their programs with a basic understanding of how to get started, including guidance on seeking funding to support their project. Come join other ‘green thumb Head Start staff’ on this fun, engaging journey!

Course Information:

• Start Date: On-Demand
• Course Level: Beginner
• Target Audience: Instruction and Effective Practice, Parents and Families, Support Services
• Course Requirements/Prerequisites: None
• Course Meeting Times: None
• Completion Timeline/Duration: One month

Topics:

• Benefits of Gardening and Steps to Starting a Kids Garden
• Garden Options
• Funding a Garden Program
• Implementing the Garden Program

Learning Objectives:

• Discover the benefits of gardening with young children and learn about the steps to starting a sustainable youth garden program.
• Explore different types of gardens and learn how to select the right garden and plants for your space.
• Investigate different ways to fund and gather supplies for a garden program.
• Dig into garden themes, educational support resources, and ways to connect the garden to your existing teaching objectives.

Head Start Alignment:

Gardening can support young children’s learning across various Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework (ELOF) learning domains, including:

• Perceptual, Motor, and Physical Development
• Language and Communication
• Cognition
• Approaches to Learning
• Social and Emotional Development

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Course Author

Sarah Pounders

While working toward her master’s degree in Horticultural Sciences at Texas A&M University, Sarah Pounders served as a school garden coordinator and conducted research on the benefits of using school garden programs to teach nutrition. She went on to work at various botanical gardens and for Cooperative Extension in Virginia and Texas. Since 2005, Sarah has been an education specialist at KidsGardening, coordinating numerous children’s gardens and writing curricula and activities for youth of all ages. Sarah enjoys gardening at home with her two children and serves as the volunteer garden coordinator at her son’s elementary school.

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