Cornell Garden-Based Learning Program
Providing educators with inspiring, research-based gardening resources and professional development to support engaging, empowering, and relevant learning experiences for children, youth, adults, and communities.

Creating Deerfield High School's Outdoor Classroom Deerfield, Ill.
A school-produced video that follows the development of an outdoor classroom in the school's courtyard.

Creating Gardens With Youth
Here is a concise outline of steps for starting an educational garden, created by University of Maine Cooperative Extension educators.


Garden Activity Timeline by Month 
Woodland Elem. West, Gages Lake, Ill.


Garden Learning Videos Life Lab Science Program
Web-based videos on school garden how-to and garden-based nutrition

Garden-to-School Cafeteria Protocol Denver Public Schools
A step-by-step guide for the safe growing and harvesting of school garden produce specifically for use in school meals. Developed by Slow Food Denver in conjunction with Denver Public Schools. Use this to jump-start your own garden-to-cafeteria protocol!!

Getting Started: A Guide for Creating School Gardens as Outdoor Classrooms
Center for EcoLiteracy

Good Plant Choices for School / Youth Gardens
Gary Comer Youth Center, Chicago

Grant Application Advice: Native Plant Gardens for Schools and Urban Areas
Betsey Landis © 2009.  Landis shares how to avoid basic pitfalls of the grant application process, especially grants with very specialized requirements for funding.  Great advice for any garden project seeking funding.

Green Your School Guide
This guide from Earth Day Network offers lesson plans and student action plans on nearly every aspect of greening a school.  The pages dedicated to recreation, food and Environmental Jeopardy are particularly informative.

The Greenhouse Gardening Guide
This resource provides information about the construction, use, and management of greenhouses. There are useful tips and information about experiments that can be done in a greenhouse. Learn more about greenhouse gardening.

Growing Herbs In Your Garden
History of herbs, uses, and links for other sites

Guide to Setting Up Your Own Edible Rooftop Garden
Alternatives and the Rooftop Gardens Project, Montreal

Herb Garden Guide
by Monterey Bay Spice Company
Provides guidance on growing a herb garden, protecting your herb garden in winter, indoor herb gardens, herb growing info for backyard gardeners, a fact sheet, and more.

How to Create Classroom Grow-Light Systems
Master Gardeners in Mathews, Va., share how they construct one-tier grow-light systems for seed starting in fourth-grade classrooms.

How To Start A School Garden: A Practical AND Philosophical Guide
by the Civic Knowledge Project, the community connections branch of the Humanities Division at the University of Chicago: Cecilia Donnelly, Coordinator
This report was commissioned to help Chicago Public Schools add school gardens to their curriculums. Humanities education is critical to human growth and development on a communal and personal level, and the humanities and the environment are inextricably connected. This guide is uniquely tailored to the needs of public schools in Chicago.

Low Maintenance Gardening Strategies
Gary Comer Youth Center, Chicago

Meet the Beneficials: Natural Enemies of Garden Pests
Download this free poster of common garden predators! From the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program

Native Plant Gardens for Schools and Urban Areas: A Survival Guide
Betsey Landis © 2009.  Describes native plant communities / habitat gardens,      considerations before selection and purchasing native plants or seeds, the architectuture of common native plant habitats, and Southern California sources for plants and information. Terrific insights regardless of your location!

Outdoor Classroom & Garden Design The Garden School
Explores site analysis, purpose, safety, participatory process, connecting to curriculum, recognizing others' efforts, elements of sustainable landscapes and outdoor gardens.  

A Guide for Organizing Your Outdoor Earth Science Event
Sponsored by the American Geological Institute
This guide provides tips on planning an event, organizing educational activities, and reaching out to news media for those who want to organize their own No Child Left Inside Day. Any day can be NCLI Day for young people and educators!

Planning for Healthy Communities Public Health Law & Policy
Model food systems policies for farmers markets and community gardens

Pumpkins & More
University of Illinois Extension. History, nutrition, how to grow, recipes, festivals.

Schoolyard Habitat Program
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The Schoolyard Habitat Program helps teachers and students create wildlife habitat at their own schools. Typical projects include: wetlands, meadows, forests and variations based on specific ecoregions. Many projects are planned through multiple phases and change over time as children from various classes build upon the existing work of past students. Fact sheet and project guide available.

Soil: To Test or Not to Test?
Excellent perspective on whether or not to make a soil test, by Vince Lazaneo, UCCE Horticulture Advisor and Master Gardener Advisor in San Diego County.

Spanish/English Dictionary of Garden Terms
"A Garden of Words/Un jardín de palabras" is a bilingual gardening dictionary for schools and after-school gardening programs, produced by University of California Master Gardeners of Santa Barbara County and University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. 30 color-coded pages provide translations of tools, measurements, conversions, phrases, and fruits and vegetable names.

Three Seed-to-Table Gardens 
Gary Comer Youth Center, Chicago

Tips for Working with Children in Gardens DC Schoolyard Greening
Attendees of the Get Out and Garden Teacher Training Workshop share collective wisdom for gardening with children.

VIDEO: How to Use an Outdoor Classroom for Hands-On Learning
A great video of how Thomas Gardner Elementary School in Boston uses their outdoor space for hands-on learning.  A great piece to share with school administrators and give you more ideas for engaging students!

Setting up and running a school garden
This online book is by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and includes instructions, food fact sheets, nutrition guidelines and more. 

School Garden Start-Up Guide
University of California Coop. Extension, LA County

School Garden Viability Assessment Green Teacher Network - Chicago
A survey for anyone started or re-investing in an existing school garden. Easily modified for any region.

School Garden Wizard 
 Chicago Botanic Garden

Starting Your Own Community Garden in Chicago
 Grand Crossing Community Garden Initiative

Successful Container Gardens website
University of Illinois Extension

Summer Garden Maintenance Tips
Life Lab

USDA: Gardening Together
Tips for parents and children

USDA Guidelines on Using School Garden Produce in Food Service
Q&A document regarding the operation of a school garden

USDA People's Garden Initiative
Provides gardening and healthy eating tips, plans, pollinator guides and much more.

NEW!  USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map  
This updated map lets you search for hardiness zones by zip code or view detailed state maps.

SPANISH - Vegetable Gardening Basics
A Spanish version of the popular University of Illinois Extension website.  You also may want to view the children's book Nuestra Huerta Generosa.

Volunteer Job Descriptions  
Woodland Elem. West, Gages Lake, Ill.