Educator Certification Program

Become a Life Lab-Certified School Garden Educator!

At Life Lab, we believe the world needs informed, inspired, creative, and collaborative leaders, ready with the skills and the motivation they need to work for justice, sustainability, and healthy communities. And we believe that the garden is an ideal space for growing just such leaders! Now, more than ever, we need dedicated educators to lead children in cultivating a love of learning, nutritious food and connection to our natural world through garden-based education.

**Our Program**

Building on Life Lab’s 40+ years of experience in the school garden movement, we’ve put together a virtual course that will guide and support educators in becoming a Life Lab-Certified School Garden Educator!
Next cohorts will begin late August and Early September 2024.
Subscribe **here** for registration announcements.

Program Overview

$1,400 for the course, materials, and the certification.

2 Course Options:

Cohort 8: 16 Week Program
- Live classes will be held every Tuesday, from 3:30 - 5:00 PT.
- August 27, 2024 - Dec 10, 2024
Cohort 9: 8 Week Program
- Live classes will be held every Monday and Wednesday, from 3:30 - 5:00 PT.
- September 9, 2024 - October 30, 2024

This course includes:

Weekly synchronous virtual sessions that include discussions, sharing of resources, hands-on demonstration lessons, and community building. Participants should expect to actively participate in discussion groups and demonstration lessons.
Three 1-on-1 coaching sessions that include specific feedback and reflection questions to support your teaching practice. (Two coaching sessions for 8-week program.)
Asynchronous content that can be completed on your own time
Access to high-quality Life Lab vetted materials
1 copy of The Growing Classroom garden activity guide
Digital copies of Life Lab’s newly released Next Generation in the Garden lessons for K-2.
Free Seeds!

Course Details:

Develop a child’s love of nature and support their social emotional wellbeing through garden-based activities. Participants in this course will learn how to set up their garden classroom as a safe and welcoming space that is inclusive and respectful of all living things. We will learn gardening tips and tricks with children while also demonstrating activities that engage children in using their senses to explore the natural world. Additionally, we will explore best practices in mindfulness and social emotional learning through an equity lens and how to incorporate this into the garden classroom.
Learn to use a garden to breathe life into standards-based lessons based on Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Common Core Language Arts and Math. Participants in this course will also explore best practices for establishing and maintaining a positive, engaging culture of learning and fun in a garden setting. We will learn how to set the tone for equitable and inclusive instruction; garden class routines; and specific techniques to maximize student engagement and participation using Life Lab’s The Growing Classroom activity guide for grades K-6 and our newly released NGSS-aligned lessons.
Make the connection from seed to table in this empowering course! Using tried-and-true Life Lab lessons and recipes for grades K-8, participants will explore effective ways to teach nutrition and encourage kids to eat more fruits and vegetables through hands-on garden-based activities. We will demonstrate important routines for preparing and enjoying healthy food with kids such as, harvesting from the garden, kitchen and garden tool safety, and group and materials management. We will also learn different approaches to crop planning, composting and regenerative agriculture that inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.
Why do some school gardens take root and become well-established, while others struggle? In this course, we will discuss key elements of building a strong school garden culture. Together, we’ll explore different, sustainable school garden program models; planning tools to align year-round garden activities with academic and garden care goals; methods for assessing garden programs; and strategies for increasing funding.