Creating a culture of garden-based learning in schools to enhance science and nutrition education. www.lifelabpartnerschools.org

What Life Lab Provides to Partner Schools

• Scheduled NGSS lessons co-taught by Life Lab staff and your Kinder-2nd grade teachers. Lessons scheduled up to twice a month, Mid-September – Early-December and Mid-April – Late-May. View K-2 unit overview
• Science lesson materials and garden literature library that are in alignment with PVUSD’s Science and Environmental Literacy Plan.
• Cooking and nutrition units for 3rd – 5th grade classes scheduled Late January – March using our mobile cooking cart . Cooking cart is provided for your school.
• Opportunities for your teachers to attend free Garden Classroom Educator Workshops.
• Garden maintenance and technical support via our Garden Crew College Intern program.
• Online garden management and communication tool www.lifelabpartnerschools.org

School Commitments

• Appoint a school garden lead(s) to:
  • communicate/coordinate lesson scheduling among classroom teachers
  • collaborate with Life Lab staff on school garden grants and identifying/requesting funds for garden support
  • help schedule 1-2 garden workdays
• Schedule a fall and late winter Life Lab PD session with K-2 teachers and check-ins with K-2 grade level planning teams.
• Participating teachers complete a pre program and post program survey on garden use and their student’s attitudes.
• Principal and garden lead planning meeting with Life Lab to take place before end of 2016-17 school year.

Our Partner School Project is part of Life Lab’s Pajaro Valley Initiative with funding from Sage Garden Project.

Life Lab’s mentoring and support have brought our garden program to life.  Our students are motivated and excited about science and gardening because they get to be immersed in the vividness of real-life, hands-on experiences in the outdoors.  They look forward to their garden lessons and constantly share with others concepts and experiences that they just experienced in the outdoor science lab.  We love the Amesti Eagles’ garden!

~ Margaret Rosa Reading Intervention Teacher/ School Garden Coordinator Amesti Elementary School