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Engaging Students with School Gardens

Research shows that school gardens enhance hands-on learning, foster community, and increase teacher satisfaction. They also improve student engagement and academic performance, particularly in low-performing schools. Green Our Planet’s GardenConnect Program brings these benefits to life with a comprehensive school garden program.

Program Interest FormJoin a 20-Minute Webinar to Learn More

GardenConnect:
School Gardens Empower  Students

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Garden-based
STEM program

The current body of research demonstrates that gardens significantly enhance learning through experiential education. They foster a sense of community. They also increase teacher satisfaction, as educators report higher preparedness and job fulfillment levels. School gardens also improve student engagement and academic performance, especially in low-performing schools.

Apply for GardenConnect

Garden-based STEM learning curricula

In 2015, Nevada’s first school garden impact survey was conducted by the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and showed the positive impacts school gardens had for students and educators throughout Clark County School District.

Apply for a Garden

STEMworks Accreditation

GardenConnect is the only STEMworks accredited school garden program in the United States written to Next Generation Science Standards.

Embark on the GardenConnect School Garden Journey

GardenConnect empowers teachers to plant the seeds of joy in their students' learning journey. To achieve this, GardenConnect provides the content, community, and coaching for any school to run an outdoor garden program successfully. 94% of teachers using GardenConnect have stated the program is effective or highly effective for teaching STEM.

Content: Next Generation Science Standards aligned STEM, health and financial literacy curricula, videos with every lesson and more

Community: Connection through the Magic Garden Portal to teachers across the nation teaching STEM using outdoor gardens

Coaching: Access to virtual workshops and virtual 1:1 help from a Green Our Planet Coach

Content

  • Green Our Planet's PreK-5 Garden STEM Curriculum, MS-HS Health Curriculum, and K-12 Financial Literacy Lessons
  • Access to Green Our Planet's Virtual Academy video lessons
  • A digital library of resources, guides, printables, andmore

Community

  • Membership to Green Our Planet's Magic Garden Portal
  • Connection to teachers across the nation teaching STEM using outdoor gardens

Coaching

  • Live, online support from our expert team of coaches for one year
  • Access to 16+ topics of online workshops for teachers
Join a 20-Minute Webinar to Learn More

Impact of Our School Garden Program

100%
of teachers using our programming at least once a week rated our Virtual Academy Videos supporting STEM Standards effective or highly effective
94%
of teachers using our programming at least once a week rated our STEM standards-based curriculum effective or highly effective
71%
of parents reported their child talked to them about their school gardens and hydroponics outside of school
66%
of teachers using our programs perceived an improved school culture and climate
See Our Impact

Garden Program

Are you keen to create a garden program at your school, library or workplace?

Learn more

Portal

Embark on a journey in the magic portal.

Join the movement

Resources

Head over to our YouTube channel to see for yourself the joy on the children’s faces when they learn through doing.

Learn more

Create a Garden at your Workplace, Home or School

Experiential STEM

Outdoor gardens are one of the best tools available for teaching students experiential STEM, nutrition and conservation and are a great resource to get students engaged with educational standards.

Online community

You will also connect and collaborate with like-minded teachers at schools across the nation to share best practices and get support during your monthly meetings and through our online community of garden teachers.

A decade of experience

By assigning an experienced Green Our Planet coordinator to your school for monthly meetings, we are able to share nearly a decade of experience in how to build and maintain a garden, utilize garden-based curricula, create student-run farmers markets and how to form the next generation of scientists, chefs and entrepreneurs.

Discover Boundless Wonder

Apply for GardenConnect

You know how many students test poorly in science, are stuck inside their classrooms all day, have no idea where their food comes from, and are disconnected from both nature and school? Well, we can help change that.  We install turnkey outdoor gardens and hydroponic laboratories to inspire students and get them excited and engaged at school. We run the largest school garden and hydroponic programs in the country. 97% of the teachers who use our programs recommend them to other schools.

Testimonials

"The garden has had an enormous, positive impact at our school. By getting our students out of their seats and into an engaging environment, our students have benefited from being able to use all their senses in order to make connections and lasting learning experiences. "

Miriam Benitez

Principal, John S Park Elementary School

Testimonials

Teacher

in Matteson, IL

The student involvement, passion, and excitement has been amazing!  The highlight of my day occurs when I enter classrooms and seeing students light up, knowing the "Hydroponics Lady" is here, helping students germinate, grow, and harvest their own plants, and witnessing the contagious joy of gardening.  One moment that will stick with me is when I received an email from a 2nd grade student and his mother, expressing her appreciation for providing her child with hydroponics gardening opportunities, and asking when and if she is able to volunteer!
“In 2009, I planted the kitchen garden on the South Lawn of the White House. And as those seedlings started to sprout, so did a national conversation about the way we feed our children, the impact of healthy food on underserved communities, and the beautiful things that happen when young people come together in a garden.So I couldn’t be more proud of Ciara Byrne, one of our 2019 #ObamaFellows, who’s growing gardens like these across the desert to not only help kids learn science and math, but also understand the importance of taking care of our planet. Keep up the good work, @greenourplanet!”

Michelle Obama

Former First Lady of the United States

Teacher

at Northville Central School, Northville, NY

I love to see the excitement in the students as they grow and learn about plants in general. I have never seen children so excited about eating a salad. The students are curious and ask wonderful questions that we are trying to solve together as we all grow and learn with the systems.
“In 2009, I planted the kitchen garden on the South Lawn of the White House. And as those seedlings started to sprout, so did a national conversation about the way we feed our children, the impact of healthy food on underserved communities, and the beautiful things that happen when young people come together in a garden.So I couldn’t be more proud of Ciara Byrne, one of our 2019 #ObamaFellows, who’s growing gardens like these across the desert to not only help kids learn science and math, but also understand the importance of taking care of our planet. Keep up the good work, @greenourplanet!”

Michelle Obama

Former First Lady of the United States

Teacher

at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Albuquerque, NM

Every time my middle school students come into class, they get out their plant log books and go straight to the Deep Water Culture Systems to check out their plants (they do all this without my saying a word). It’s pretty awesome to see them so excited.
“In 2009, I planted the kitchen garden on the South Lawn of the White House. And as those seedlings started to sprout, so did a national conversation about the way we feed our children, the impact of healthy food on underserved communities, and the beautiful things that happen when young people come together in a garden.So I couldn’t be more proud of Ciara Byrne, one of our 2019 #ObamaFellows, who’s growing gardens like these across the desert to not only help kids learn science and math, but also understand the importance of taking care of our planet. Keep up the good work, @greenourplanet!”

Michelle Obama

Former First Lady of the United States

Teacher

at Richard H Hungerford School, Staten Island, NY

One moment that sticks with me is when one of the students was shocked that we were able to grow vegetables inside. We started our seeds a week prior and he didn't believe we would be able to get it to sprout. Once the broccoli started growing big, he was in absolute amazement. He was so genuinely amazed by the growth, he looks forward to coming to my class everyday.
“In 2009, I planted the kitchen garden on the South Lawn of the White House. And as those seedlings started to sprout, so did a national conversation about the way we feed our children, the impact of healthy food on underserved communities, and the beautiful things that happen when young people come together in a garden.So I couldn’t be more proud of Ciara Byrne, one of our 2019 #ObamaFellows, who’s growing gardens like these across the desert to not only help kids learn science and math, but also understand the importance of taking care of our planet. Keep up the good work, @greenourplanet!”

Michelle Obama

Former First Lady of the United States

Where We Grow

Green Our Planet Inspires Growth Across 4 Countries

Green Our Planet’s STEM Outdoor School Garden Program
Green Our Planet’s STEM School Hydroponics Program

What matters most to you?

Environmental Science

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Community

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Young Entrepreneurship

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Food Justice

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STEM

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Urban Farmers

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Nutrition & Health

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Education Justice

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Resources for You

Do you want to get involved in inspiring curiosity and connection to the planet?

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Our impact study

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Sign up to the Portal

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Thought Seed Heading

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Why we do what we do

Every big idea, big movement, big change starts with a single small seed. The Green Our Planet team is inspired by the joy on children's faces as they learn where their food comes from and connect to the magic and majesty of planet Earth. This is the foundation of a gentle movement that empowers communities and creates opportunities for students.

See our impact
4
Continents using Virtual Academy lessons
44
States using our HydroConnect Program
600+
Outdoor & Hydroponic gardens implemented
3,500+
Teachers using our STEM curricula
200+
Student Farmer’s Markets each year
140,000+
Students impacted

Thought Seeds

Read our latest blog and let your curiosity bloom!

Thought Seeds

From Farmers Markets to Financial Empowerment: How One Vision Sparked a Movement (and an Alien Adventure!)

What started with farmers markets and one bold idea grew into a financial literacy movement—now starring an alien named Quasar.
Ciara Byrne
April 1, 2025
Hydroponics

Using Hydroponics & Gardening to Promote STEM Skills

Learn how school gardens and hydroponics enforce STEM concepts and help students cultivate the skills they need for future STEM careers.
Green Our Planet
March 31, 2025

Student Entrepreneurs Pitch Big Ideas at the First-Ever Virtual Shark Tank Competition

From seed paper to self-watering planters, students brought fresh ideas to life in this exciting sustainability pitch competition.
Green Our Planet
March 21, 2025
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