Granny's Garden School is a non-profit organization established in 2002 to develop and manage garden and nature based programs on elementary school grounds. Our outdoor classrooms are used to enhance classroom study while allowing children to experience nature, the satisfaction of growing their own food and to appreciate the simple pleasure of picking a flower.

Our flagship program in Loveland, OH, (serving ~1,500 first through fourth grade students is one of the largest and most comprehensive school garden programs in the country. In 2014 Granny’s Garden School expanded to include Stewart Elementary the largest of eight elementary schools in Princeton City Schools a neighboring Title 1 district.

There are currently six schools, with more than 150 vegetable gardens, lots of flower gardens and two nature trails, serving ~ 2,000 students, under the Granny’s Garden School umbrella.

Granny’s Garden School provides schools with a complete package of services that include:

• Design, creation, management and year-around maintenance of educational food and flower gardens and nature trails on the school’s grounds.
• A customized curriculum aligned with both school and state requirements.
• Trained professional Garden Educators prepare and teach lessons with classroom teacher assistance.
• Staff experienced with managing educational gardens and large groups of volunteers (high school/college, corporate groups), who provide the labor.

Students in the Granny’s Garden School program embark on a four-year adventure when they enter the first grade.

• Hands-on learning experiences support academics by enhancing student understanding of science, math, social studies and the natural world as they interact with their environment.
• Students taste what they grow and discover they like carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, beets and even onions as they snack on them fresh from the gardens or served in the cafeteria.
• When students return to the same garden or woods week after week, they become connected - they observe changes and care what happens to it.

The Granny’s Garden School website is accessed by garden educators across the country. Many come to Loveland to learn about this successful program.

http://www.grannysgardeschool.com

• Roberta Paolo
• 513-324-2873
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