CREATING OUTDOOR LEARNING LABORATORIES
Gardens in the schoolyard are effective outdoor learning spaces for students to engage in inquiry-driven, project-based learning across all disciplines. Project Learning Garden™ is a holistic program that provides schools with the essential elements to establish and support their garden-based learning programs.
Project Learning Garden provides schools with outdoor learning laboratories
There are currently 600+ Project Learning Garden schools across 41 states participating in this program.
Project Learning Garden Elements
Garden Materials & Supplies
Project Learning Garden provides schools with easy-to-assemble raised garden beds, soil, and seeds to get you growing quickly. Schools also receive supplies and tools to take learning into the garden.
Garden Beds
Project Learning Garden provides your school with five 4’x4′ raised beds (approx. 80 square feet of total growing space) to get your schoolyard garden started. These beds offer an opportunity for younger students to learn shapes, while older students calculate area, volume, and other measurements.
Each school receives 5 – 4’x4’ square beds (13″ deep).
The kits are manufactured by Gronomics from beautiful, sustainably-harvested, untreated western cedar, which is naturally rot-resistant. Beds arrive ready to assemble with clear instructions for putting them together tool-free. The beds are pre-drilled and ready to receive hardware to support your garden sign (shipped separately). You’ll just need a small wrench to tighten it into place.
Garden Exploration Kit
The Garden Learning & Exploration Kit comes packed with tools, books, and other supplies to help turn any schoolyard into an outdoor learning environment. This kit includes everything from trowels, gloves, and seeds for getting the work done; to hand lenses, literacy tools, and measuring tapes for outdoor learning and exploring.
Garden Sign
Learning can take place in the gardens even when teachers aren’t around! This interpretive metal sign, printed on highly durable material, provides information and activity prompts that connect learning to the gardens for everyone.
Educator Resources
Project Learning Garden provides educator with thematic Collections of Garden Explorations or activities that are centered in standards and learning outcomes. We also provide a library of Garden Guides and tips for growing, harvesting, composting, cooking with kids, and more.
Collections & Explorations
Project Learning Garden offers thematic Collections of garden-based Explorations or activities that fit into a wide range of subjects and learning outcomes. Explore the Collections and all of the associated Explorations in the Educator Resource library.
Gardening Guides
Project Learning Garden is for LEARNING! It does not have to be a perfect and beautiful garden, and you do not need to be a master gardener to make it a successful learning space — but here are some helpful tips and how-to guides for bringing your outdoor learning space to life.
Mobile Cooking Cart
PLG provides schools with a fully equipped mobile cooking cart and recipes to allow easy preparation of produce from gardens.
Mobile Cooking Cart & Instructions
There is no better way to get kids eating fruits and vegetables than to make fun and tasty snacks with the vegetables they have grown.
Our stainless steel Mobile Cooking Cart arrives complete with: a Vitamix blender, an induction burner, and all of the pots, pans, and utensils you need to turn vegetables from your gardens into the snacks that students love!
Recipes
Our collection of school and kid-tested recipes provide you with fun, simple, and tasty options that can be easily prepared by kids using vegetables grown right in your schoolyard.
School Garden Cookbook
Conceived and tested by FoodCorps member, Bang Tran, Captain Planet Foundation produced and published this wonderful School Garden Cookbook. This book is full of easy, colorful, and tasty recipes you can cook right in your classroom with produce from the garden. It also has wonderful tricks of the trade for doing tasting events with your students.
Vitamix Recipes
PLG is proud to partner with the Vitamix Foundation to provide a Vitamix blender with each Project Learning Garden mobile cooking cart. The chefs at Vitamix have developed some tasty and fun recipes for produce your students will grow in your schoolyard garden.
For Current PLG Schools
Getting your school garden setup and growing with Project Learning Garden is just the beginning! There are several opportunities to extend your learning and build your community, both directly through Captain Planet Foundation and our network of partner organizations.
PLG Educator Training – T101
Your school has Project Learning Garden but your educators need some info on how best to put the garden spaces and the materials to work? Complete the FREE PLG Teacher 101 online course.
PLG Educator & School Certification
You’re a PLG Trained Educator — now what!? Become a CERTIFIED PLG Educator/School by completing a few surveys each year to tell us how you are using your garden, and how CPF can help!
Rejuvenation Grant
Schools that received the PLG grant six (6) or more years ago (installed before 2017) and the garden is still being actively used are eligible to apply for a Project Learning Garden Rejuvenation Grant. Each selected school will receive a one-time investment of up to $1000 to rejuvenate their garden space and equipment.
Applications are currently CLOSED.
Join the KidsGardening Community
Our partners at KidsGardening supports the educators and caregivers bringing the life-changing benefits of gardening to kids through news about grant funding, original educational resources, inspiration, and community to get more kids learning through the garden.
Join the SGSO Network
The School Garden Support Organization (SGSO) Network is a nationwide network of school garden champions, supporting programs at all levels – from individual school gardens to regional and national programs. Membership is free and provides opportunities to learn, share, collaborate, and grow the garden-based learning movement.
Sign up to receive updates from PLG
When you sign-up for updates, you will receive periodic communications about program updates, contests, as well as a seasonal newsletter with tips and suggestions for making the most of your schoolyard learning space.
Support for PLG
Sponsors
Partners
