Program Spotlight: REAL School Gardens

Welcome to Outdoor Classrooms Program Spotlight. From backyards to schoolyards, we want to find the Outdoor Classrooms, Children’s Gardens & Community Programs that are cultivating wonder, curiosity and playful learning. This week our Program Spotlight is REAL School Gardens. 

What is a REAL School Garden?

We Grow Successful Students

For a teacher, a garden is more than a beautiful place or a veggie patch. It is a powerful learning tool, as critical to a student’s academic success as a computer or a microscope. To help students succeed, REAL School Gardens creates learning gardens in low-income elementary schools and trains teachers how to use them to improve student engagement and academic achievement.

We Build Learning Gardens

For most schools, the first step is to create the learning garden. Our program unites teachers, parents, funders and the students themselves to design a learning garden tailored to each school’s unique needs. Then, in one satisfying day of service, hundreds of volunteers come together to create a beautiful place for children to learn and grow.

We Train Teachers

After the garden is built, our partner schools enter a multi-year training and support program. Our seasoned and certified educators provide on-site one-on-one training with teachers during class, sharing proven techniques tailored to each teacher’s individual needs. We also develop ready-to-use lesson plans that are easy for teachers to implement and provide new activities and garden materials to help them succeed.

REAL School Gardens = REAL Results

Our partner schools have seen 12%-15% increases in standardized test score pass rates. The improvements are particularly noticeable in Science, a critical indicator of long-term career success. Our program is proven to make teachers more effective and get students more engaged in learning. School gardens also make children happier and healthier, giving children a space to build skills and habits that last a lifetime.

More Successful Students

• 15% increase in test scores — REAL School Gardens partner schools have seen standardized test pass rates increase 12% – 15%, with the largest gains in Science.

• 84% increase in student engagement — 84% of students had high levels of engagement in math and science when in a REAL school garden.

More Effective Teachers

• 91% better prepared — 91% of teachers report that the REAL School Gardens program made them better prepared to help their students succeed.

• 100% job satisfaction increase – Teachers in the REAL School Gardens program reporting they were satisfied with their position increased more than 100%.

Healthier Happier Children Additional studies show:

• Hands-on lessons get students learning more and working better in groups • After gardening, students know more about nutrition, and choose healthier snacks • Gardening reduces symptoms of ADD and ADHD • School gardens reduce student stress levels, and increase self-esteem,

• Gardening reduces symptoms of ADD and ADHD • School gardens reduce student stress levels, and increase self-esteem,

• Gardening reduces symptoms of ADD and ADHD • School gardens reduce student stress levels, and increase self-esteem,

• School gardens reduce student stress levels, and increase self-esteem, problem-solving, motivation to learn, and interest in improving the environment

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I want to hear from you. Do you have an Outdoor Classroom that you would like to spotlight? Share at victoria@outdoor-classrooms.com

Victoria