Introduction

Gardening enhances the quality of life in numerous ways: providing fresh food, exercise and health benefits, opportunities for multi-generational and life-long learning, creating pleasing landscapes and improved environment, and bringing people together.

Garden-based learning programs result in increased nutrition along with environmental awareness, higher learning achievements, and increased life skills for our students. They are also an effective and engaging way to integrate curricula and meet learning standards, giving young people the chance to develop a wide range of academic and social skills.

Garden experiences foster ecological literacy and stewardship skills, enhancing an awareness of the link between plants in the landscape and our clothing, food, shelter, and well-being. They also provide children and youth with the time and space to explore the natural world–something that can occur rarely in today’s era of indoor living.

By actively participating in Youth Development, you will:

  • Recognize the benefits of positive youth development and identify how to incorporate meaningful opportunities for youth engagement in garden-based learning (GBL) settings.
  • Discuss some challenges, fears and expectations regarding youth engagement in the garden setting.
  • Understand the steps to planning a successful garden project. 
  • Practice innovative garden-based activities and discuss how they could be adapted to fit various settings.
  • Research school and youth garden projects in your community.

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