CITY SPROUTS:  Youth Gardening… It’s fun AND educational!

The City Sprouts Program is a gardening, environmental educational and recreational program that provides children the opportunity to participate in gardening experiences; develop a deeper understanding of the natural environment; gain understanding of food systems and the importance of eating healthy foods; and have access to outdoor recreational activities in their own community.

The City Sprouts Program is implemented in partnership with area school systems (for academic year field trips) and area summer recreation departments and summer camps (for summer camp programming). In addition City Green sponsors weekend “Family Fun Days” during the spring, summer and fall.

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS 

Our “Dirt to Table” curriculum, professionally developed by City Green staff, is based on our direct experiences gardening in the city. This program teaches children the entire process of growing food from “Dirt to Table” and includes hands-on lessons in science, nutrition, the environment and caring for the community. All participants in our after-school program plan, build, grow and maintain a garden and all program lessons take place in the garden and all participants take home the produce grown in their gardens.

City Sprouts After-School program is run in coordination with local youth-centered organizations.

CG Staff work on site implementing a weekly one-hour curriculum from March through November. 

Current After-School Partners are: Paterson YWCA; Boys and Girls Club of Paterson; United Methodist Church in Paterson; Paterson St. Paul’s CDC; Paterson Public Library; Boys and Girls Club of Passaic; Father English Center

If your after school organization is interested in growing a garden and receiving training on the use of the Dirt-to-Table Curriculum, email us at: info@city-green.org or call 973-869-4086

“Because of persons such as you and your staff, children and communities as a

whole are made the better.  I truly thank you for your time and efforts… you see the

bigger picture for these children and for that I thank you!”

Janet Sims, Program Director, YWCA

A study on a youth gardening program in Detroit reports that after gardening, kids have an increased interest in eating fruit and vegetables, possess an appreciation for working with neighborhood adults, and have an increased interested for improvement of neighborhood appearance. In addition, they made new friends, and showed increased knowledge about nutrition, plant ecology, and gardening. (Pothukuchi, K. (2004))

SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS

City Green offers students in grades K-3  half-day field trips in spring and fall to the City Green Learning Garden located in Paterson’s Eastside Park at 800 Broadway.

Students engage in science, math, literature and art based activities that reinforce lessons in the classroom. Sample activities include touring the garden, planting crops in the raised beds, conducting soil studies and examining garden insects. Our shady Story Grove provides a great space for stories and songs.  Nature crafts, science based scavenger hunts and simple cooking round out the day. All activities are correlated to NJ Core Curriculum standards and are led by experienced City Green educators.

“I have been teaching for over 15 years in Paterson Schools, and this is the best trip I have been on with my kids.  It’s hands on learning, the learning stations are so comprehensive, and it’s in their home community…. Great work!”   Teacher from Norman S Wier School in Paterson  

“This was an excellent experience for the students; they had never participated in

anything like it before. It allowed them to see the beauty of their community and know

that they contributed to it.  Some students reported that participating in the community

garden was the BEST field trip they ever went on!”

EWK School

To find out more about our program or register your class for a field trip email us at info@city-green.org or call 973-869-4086

SUMMER CAMP PROGRAMS

During the months of July and August City Green runs our “Seedlings Garden Camp,” at the City Green Learning Garden in Eastside Park in Paterson. Our “Seedlings Garden Camp” hosts local “campers” for educational field trips or weekly programs in hands-on gardening, environmental education. Each group has their own raised bed for vegetable growing, which they tend throughout the season in addition to engaging in fun educational activities. Click here if your organization is interested in our summer camper field trips or email us at: info@city-green.org or call 973-869-4086

FAMILY FUN DAYS -- coming soon