Planning a Successful School & Community Garden Program
Plan, organize and develop a successful and sustainable gardening program.
Planning a Successful School & Community Garden Program is one of 10 online courses we offer in our Horticulture Distance Learning Program.
Next course: January 27 to March 21, 2025
- Cost: $350.
- Register online.
- Enrollment limited.
- To be notified of next course, fill out this form.
- Questions about the course? View FAQ, then email dmc72 [at] cornell.edu (dmc72[at]cornell[dot]edu)
- Registration details and refund policy
About the course
This 6-week course focuses on the foundations and benefits of garden-based learning, and provides the tools, resources, and collaborative support needed to plan, organize, and develop a successful and sustainable gardening program that fits your organization’s needs.
Upon completion of this course, participants will:
- Understand the foundations of garden-based learning and its benefits.
- Explore and identify available resources, case studies, research, and successful school and community-based garden programs.
- Utilize logic models to identify program inputs, activities, and desired outcomes.
- Use real world tools to practice and develop a garden-based learning program in alignment with program needs.
- Build a toolbox of resources and portfolio of program planning, deliverables, and strategies for sustainability.
- Utilize strategies to organize a community of volunteers and identify leadership.
This online course teaches the benefits of garden-based learning, and through successful completion of course learning activities, provides the steps in building a portfolio and toolbox of program planning, lesson plans, deliverables, and strategies for program sustainability.
This online class is asynchronous and self-paced in its design, where single topics are opened each week, and build upon each other. Participants complete assigned lessons and readings, watch videos, participate in online group discussions, do hands-on activities, and submit assignments and reflective journals. Most students spend approximately 5 hours each week with the content, however more time may be needed to explore additional resources added each week.
- Week 1: Welcome and Introductions; Growing Your Planning Team; Community Partnerships
- Week 2: Developing Garden Program Goals Using Logic Models
- Week 3: Tapping Your Community Resources
- Week 4: Evaluation and Assessment; Building Your Curriculum Toolbox
- Week 5: Creating Sustainable Gardens; Finding Funding
- Week 6: Project Portfolio; Next Steps
There will be a week-long break from February 17-23
Instructor: Donna Alese Cooke dmc72 [at] cornell.edu (dmc72[at]cornell[dot]edu)
Purpose
This course is perfect for educators, program staff, volunteers, volunteer coordinators or anyone wanting to develop a community garden, school garden, or garden-based learning program for youth, adults, or people with disabilities in their local community, school, Cooperative Extension, or after-school program.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, participants will:
- Understand the foundations of garden-based learning and its benefits.
- Explore and identify available resources, case studies, research, and successful school and community-based garden programs.
- Utilize logic models to identify program inputs, activities, and desired outcomes.
- Use real world tools to practice and develop a garden-based learning program in alignment with program needs.
- Build a toolbox of resources and portfolio of program planning, deliverables, and strategies for sustainability.
- Utilize strategies to organize a community of volunteers and identify leadership.
Course Philosophy
This course is designed to enrich the practice of community-based gardening in schools and communities, for children, youth, and adult audiences, and to encourage a network of state and nation-wide educators, volunteers and communities who will learn and grow together.
Approach
Using a logic model approach to program development, this online course teaches methods and strategies on planning, organizing, and developing a successful and sustainable school and/or community gardening program.
Participants will connect with and learn from others with the same purpose, and by the end of this course, will become a more confident and knowledgeable garden-based learning educators and program organizers.
Expectations
This course is asynchronous in its design, where students learn on a schedule at their own pace. Due dates, deadlines and self-evaluation exercises are in place to help keep students on track. Bi-weekly Zoom meetings are scheduled (dates/times TBD) for students to ask questions and work on group activities. These sessions are optional and recorded in case you miss them.
Expect to dedicate a minimum of 5-7 hours per week to the lessons, readings, discussions and assignments. A weekly Learning Journal is assigned, to reflect on learning help build a relationship with the instructor. The final, comprehensive portfolio serves as an evolving learning experience; a teaching "toolbox" complete with a developed program ready to use in the school or community garden program.
Supplies
A computer with reliable high-speed Internet access (to view videos, view readings, submit assignments, and participate regularly in discussion forums).
More Horticulture Distance Learning Courses
- Permaculture 1 Fundamentals of Ecological Design
- Permaculture 2 Ecosystem Mimicry
- Permaculture 3 Design Practicum
- Botanical Illustration 1 Basic Drawing Techniques
- Botanical Illustration 2 Working with Watercolor
- Botanical Illustration 3 Advanced Techniques
- Organic Gardening
- Introduction to Garden Design
- Planning a Successful School & Community Garden Program
- Teaching and Learning in the School Garden