Free School Gardening Curriculum Offered by Rodale Institute

Kutztown, Pennsylvania, April 19, 2018 -- Want to grow engaged, curious learners and teach healthy eating habits? Start in the garden. Studies show that kids who participate in school gardening programs are not only more involved in the classroom; they score higher on standardized tests, have increased self-esteem, and are four times as likely to eat their veggies.[i][ii][iii] Gardening can offer lessons in everything from science and math to business and finance, which is why Rodale Institute, a leader for more than 70 years in research and education on organic agriculture, offers a free online curriculum called My First Garden (myfirstgarden.org) to teachers of kindergarten and elementary-school-aged children.

Rodale Institute's free school gardening curriculum teaches young kids all about where food comes from. Photo courtesy of Jack Sherman/Rodale Institute

The My First Garden curriculum is broken up into five, step-by-step lesson plans:

• Where Food Comes From
• How Seeds Grow
• Planting a Garden
• Harvesting and Tasting
• Visit a Farm

“At Rodale Institute, we know how important it is to get children and their families eating healthy from an early age,” says Diana Martin, Director of Communications. “School gardens help kids learn where their food comes from, and are great ways to teach little ones about what’s good for their bodies and for the environment.”

Each lesson includes a video, hands-on activities, recommended books, instructions for a lesson-specific craft, and recipes for simple snacks. Impact a child’s health for life by downloading the curriculum at MyFirstGarden.org.

About Rodale Institute: Rodale Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to pioneering organic farming through research and outreach. For seventy years, the Institute has been researching the best practices of organic agriculture and sharing findings with farmers and scientists throughout the world, advocating for policies that support farmers, and educating consumers about how going organic is the healthiest option for people and the planet.

[i] http://www.realschoolgardens.org/why-we-do-it/

[ii] http://www.jstor.org/stable/41503434?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

[iii] https://foodpsychology.cornell.edu/discoveries/growing-interest

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• Seeding

Zoe Schaeffer
Rodale Institute
610-683-1427
[email protected]