April 10th

By Mutt Mulligan

School gardens help with STEM education

Community gardens in low-income elementary schools are helping children learn science, math, language arts and more.

School gardens help kids succeed in school

REAL School Gardens is a nonprofit organization that helps bring learning gardens to low-income elementary schools. The group has funded gardens in more than 90 schools in Texas.

PEER Associates, Inc. conducted a three-year evaluation of the program. It found that 94 percent of teachers said their students were more engaged as a result of the gardens program. In addition 90 percent of teachers responded that the program made them better prepared to help students succeed. Impressively, since the gardens have been installed, the schools have averaged a 12-15 percent increase in the students’ standardized test pass rates. The biggest increase was in science.

Read the entire article here.

For more ideas about how to get your kids interested in the green spaces around them, download TurfMutt’s Family Activities Guide.