1. Why Garden in New York State Schools?
Cornell Garden-Based Learning Program
Department of Horticulture
Cornell University

2. School gardens offer numerous benefits to children
Numerous studies have been conducted on the benefits of gardening with students. The following are just a few examples.
Let’s take a look at the research…

3. School gardening enhances students’ lives
Studies in Bexar County, Texas showed that school gardening increased self-esteem, helped students develop a sense of ownership and responsibility, helped foster relationships with family members, and increased parental involvement. (Alexander, J. & D. Hendren, (1998). Bexar County Master Gardener Classroom Garden Research Project: Final Report. San Antonio, Texas.)
Studies have shown that fifth, sixth, and seventh grade students developed better interpersonal relationship skills after participating in a garden program. (Waliczek, T. & J. Zajicek. (1998). The Effect of a School Garden Program on Self-Esteem and Interpersonal Relationships of Children and Adolescents. Hort Technology (submitted).
School gardening has been shown to increase self-esteem, help students develop a sense of ownership and responsibility, help foster relationships with family members, and increase parental involvement Alexander & Hendren (1998)

4. School gardening promotes higher quality learning
Horticulture is a profession deeply rooted in community involvement and activity-based learning, both of which are key elements to the development of children.
McCormick reports that students tend to learn more and better when they are actively involved in the learning process. (McCormick, F., D. Cox, and G. Miller. (1989). Experiential Needs of Students in Agriculture Programs. The Agriculture Education Magazine. 62(4): 11-12,23.)
Students tend to learn more and better when they are actively involved in the learning process McCormick et al. (1989)

5. School gardening promotes higher quality learning
In a project that involved integrating nutrition and gardening among children in grades one through four, the outcomes have gone well beyond an understanding of good nutrition and the origin of fresh food, to include enhancing the quality and meaningfulness of learning. Canaris, Irene. (1995). Growing Foods for Growing Minds: Integrating Gardening and Nutrition Education into the Total Curriculum. Children's Environments, 12(2):
In a project that involved integrating nutrition and gardening among children in grades one through four, the outcomes went well beyond an understanding of good nutrition and the origin of fresh food, to include enhancing the quality and meaningfulness of learning. Canaris, Irene. (1995).

6. School gardening enhances learning for all students
Children with learning disabilities, who participated in gardening activities, had enhanced nonverbal communication skills, developed awareness of the advantages of order, learned how to participate in a cooperative effort, and formed relationships with adults. Sarver (1985)
Children with learning disabilities had enhanced nonverbal communication skills, developed awareness of the advantages of order, learned how to participate in a cooperative effort, and formed relationships with adults. (Sarver, M. (1985).Agritherapy: Plants as Learning Partners. Academic Therapy, 20(4) )

7. School gardening fosters parental involvement
Parents who are highly involved at school are more likely to be involved in educational activities with their children at home.
-National Center for Educational Statistics (1997)
Parents who are highly involved at school are more likely to be involved in educational activities with their children at home. (National Center for Educational Statistics, (1997). Father's Involvement in Their Children's Schools. Government Printing Office: Washington, D.C.)
Parent involvement of almost any kind can improve student achievement. (Henderson, A.T., C. Marburger, & T. Ooms. (1986). Beyond the Bake Sale -An Educator's Guide To Working With Parents. National Committee for Citizens in Education, Columbia, Maryland.)

8. School gardening can meet NYS Learning Standards
The following evidence suggests that School gardening can meet NYS Learning Standards

9. Mathematics, Science & Technology
The National Gardening Association conducted a 1992 study of third and fifth grade classrooms using GrowLab Indoor Gardens and the curriculum. GrowLab classrooms scored significantly higher than control classrooms in students' understanding of key life science concepts and science inquiry skills.
When 300 teachers were asked in a related survey what significant gains students had made as a result of the GrowLab program, a majority spontaneously reported improvement in each of the following areas: responsibility, cooperative behaviors, enthusiasm, interest, initiative and love for plants and science,environmental awareness and concern, understanding of life science concepts, science process, problem solving, and math skills pride, confidence, and self-esteem, language arts skills.
Students in fifth grade classrooms in the same study scored significantly higher than control classes on attitude scales measuring "concern for the environment" and "confidence in ability to do science."
Classrooms using GrowLab indoor gardens and GrowLab curriculum scored significantly higher than control classrooms in students' understanding of key life science concepts and science inquiry skills.
National Gardening Association (1992)

10. Mathematics, Science & Technology
Third, fourth, and fifth grade students who participated in school gardening activities scored significantly higher on science achievement tests compared to students that did not experience any garden-based learning activities.
Klemmer et al. (2005)
Third, fourth, and fifth grade students that participated in school gardening activities scored significantly higher on science achievement tests compared to students that did not experience any garden-based learning activities. Klemmer, C.D., Waliczek, T.M. & Zajicek, J.M. (2005). Growing Minds: The Effect of a School Gardening Program on the Science Achievement of Elementary Students. HortTechnology. 15(3): )
A similar study by Leanna L. Smith and Carl E. Motsenbocker of Louisiana State University AgCenter’s Department of Horticulture also confirmed that “once-weekly use of gardening activities and hands-on classroom activities helps improve science achievement test scores.”

11. Mathematics, Science & Technology (Health, Physical Education, Family & Consumer Sciences)
Elementary school and junior high school students gained more positive attitudes about environmental issues after participating in a school garden program.
Waliczek & Zajicek (1999)
Elementary school and junior high school students gained more positive attitudes about environmental issues after participating in a school garden program (Waliczek, T.M., Zajicek, J.M. (1999). School Gardening: Improving Environmental Attitudes of Children Through Hands-On Learning. Journal of Environ. Hort. 17(4): )
Gardening has been shown to increase scores on environmental attitude surveys of elementary school children. (Skelly, S. & J. Zajicek. (1998). The Effect of an Interdisciplinary Garden Program on the Environmental Attitudes of Elementary School Students. Hort Technology, 8(4): )
"Gardens are often the most accessible places for children to learn about nature's beauty, interconnections, power, fragility, and solace." (Heffernan, M. (1994). The Children's Garden Project at River Farm. Children's Environments. 11(3): )
Both passive and active interactions with plants during childhood are associated with positive adult values about trees. However the strongest influence came from active gardening, such as picking flowers or planting trees as a child. (Lohr, V.I. & Pearson-Mims, C.H. (2005). Children's Active and Passive Interactions with Plants Influence Their Attitudes and Actions toward Trees and Gardening as Adults. HortTechnology. 15(3): )

12. Mathematics, Science & Technology (Health, Physical Education, Family & Consumer Sciences)
After gardening, students have shown increased knowledge about nutrition, plant ecology, and gardening.
Pothukuchi (2004)
A study on a youth gardening program in Detroit reports that after gardening, kids have an increased knowledge about nutrition, plant ecology, and gardening. (Pothukuchi, K. (2004). Hortiliza: A Youth "Nutrition Garden" in Southwest Detroit. Children, Youth and Environments. 14(2): )

13. Health, Physical Education, Family & Consumer Sciences
After gardening, children have shown more positive attitudes toward fruit and vegetable snacks and an improvement in vegetable preference scores. (Lineberger, S. (1999). The Effect of School Gardens on Children's Attitudes and Related Behaviors Regarding Fruits and Vegetables. Thesis, Texas A&M University.)
A study on a youth gardening program in Detroit reports that after gardening, kids have an increased interest in eating fruit and vegetables. (Pothukuchi, K. (2004). Hortiliza: A Youth "Nutrition Garden" in Southwest Detroit. Children, Youth and Environments. 14(2): )
A study in Tucson, AZ showed that children who participated in the garden learned to like healthy foods. The vegetables that the children grew had a high intrinsic value. (Cavaliere, D. (1987). How Zucchini Won Fifth-Grade Hearts. Children Today, 16(3), )
After gardening, children have shown more positive attitudes toward fruit and vegetable snacks.
Lineberger (1999).

14. Health, Physical Education, Family & Consumer Sciences
Consumption of fruits and vegetables, as a habit in childhood, is an important predictor of higher fruit and vegetable consumption as adults and can help to prevent or delay chronic disease conditions.
Heimendinger & Van Duyn (1995)
Hiemendinger and Van Duyn report that consumption of fruits and vegetables, as a habit in childhood, is an important predictor of higher fruit and vegetable consumption as adults and can help to prevent or delay chronic disease conditions. (Heimendinger, J. & M. Van Duyn. (1995). Dietary behavior change: the challenge of recasting the role of fruit and vegetables in the American diet. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 61:1397S-1401S. and Crockett, S.J., & L. Sims. (1995). Environmental Influences on Children's Eating. Journal of Nutrition Education. 27: )

15. Health, Physical Education, Family & Consumer Sciences
A study on a youth gardening program in Detroit reports that after gardening, kids possess an appreciation for working with neighborhood adults, and have an increased interested for improvement of neighborhood appearance. (Pothukuchi, K. (2004). Hortiliza: A Youth "Nutrition Garden" in Southwest Detroit. Children, Youth and Environments. 14(2): )
As early as 1909, Montessori had identified several benefits to children's gardens: enhances moral education, increases appreciation for nature, increases responsibility, develops patience, and increases in relationship skills. (Montessori, M. (1964). The Montessori Method. Schocken.)
After gardening, kids possess an appreciation for working with neighborhood adults, and have an increased interested for improvement of neighborhood appearance. Pothukuchi (2004).

16. Career Development and Occupational Studies
Students in a one-year school gardening program increased their overall life skills by 1.5 points compared to a group of students that did not participate in the school gardening program. The gardening program positively influenced two constructs: "working with groups" and "self-understanding." (Robinson, C.W. & Zajicek, J.M. (2005). HortTechnology. 15(3): )
Gardening programming positively influenced two constructs: "working with groups" and "self-understanding."
Robinson, & Zajicek (2005).

17. English Language Arts
In 1992, Barbara Sheffield from Columbia, SC launched a third and fourth grade summer school project that used a whole language approach with gardening as the central theme. Results of formal pre- and post-tests of achievement (Peabody Individual Achievement Test), self-esteem (Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory), and attitudes toward school (School Attitude Measure) indicated greater gains in all three areas than control classes made. The most significant student gains were in self-esteem and achievement in reading, reading comprehension, spelling, and written expression.
In a summer school project that used a whole language approach with gardening as the central theme, the most significant student gains were in self-esteem and achievement in reading, reading comprehension, spelling, and written expression. Sheffield (1992)

18. Social Studies
By linking storytelling with children's garden programs, public gardens may serve to educate children about the processes that underlie and interweave diverse cultures' seasonal traditions. Bowles, Beatrice Celebrating Common Ground: Storytelling in Children's Gardens. Children's Environments, 12(2):
Linking storytelling with garden programs may serve to educate children about the processes that underlie and interweave diverse cultures' seasonal traditions.
Bowles (1995)

19. The Arts
Gardens are often the most accessible places for children to learn about nature's beauty, interconnections, power, fragility, and solace.
Heffernan (1994)
Art students show the fruits of their creativity inspired by beautiful outdoor settings.

20. Diversity
Eames-Sheavly, M Exploring horticulture in human culture: An interdisciplinary approach to youth education. HortTechnology 4(1).
Gardening can be an ideal vehicle for introducing elements of multicultural education.
Eames-Sheavly (1994)

21. Cultural Appreciation
Gardening helps young people understand the value of diversity by exploring historical contributions from cultures worldwide to what we eat today.

22. Gardening can bring any aspect of the curriculum to life
Additional benefits of gardening in schools…
Gardening isn’t an add on, but rather an integral part of the whole curriculum.

23. We rely on plants for everything
Gardening is a way to help us recognize our dependence on, and connectedness with plants.

24. Garden in New York State Schools!
Educators in gardening classrooms and schools have little doubt about the benefits students reap from their living garden laboratories.

25. Got Gardening?