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School Grounds

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City Green’s School Grounds purpose is to provide 1) outdoor garden classrooms, 2) teacher training, and 3) on-going support for partner schools in New Jersey to enhance academic achievement across disciplines, as well as ensure student interaction with the natural world, access to hands-on experimental learning, and an understanding of where food comes.

 

Collaborating teachers gain the curriculum, resources, knowledge, and enthusiasm to use this outdoor classroom as an educational asset and as a tool to cultivate a farm-to-school culture that values and celebrates garden education as an integral part of developing the whole child.

Grow a School garden with city green

About: City Green provides garden design, build and installation services, project funding, teacher training opportunities, and ongoing technical support to a limited number of schools looking to start an independent school garden project each year.  The School Garden program is designed to support and empower schools in starting their own school garden program rooted in their nature-based learning goals.

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How to apply: To begin the school garden request process, interested schools will submit the project inquiry form between August and October.  Selected schools will be contacted by City Green to schedule a site visit in Fall at the proposed garden site.  Schools with an eligible school garden site, will then work with City Green to design and install a low-cost school garden at their site the following spring.  City Green will provide a teacher training package with the installation.

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Eligibility: 

  • Program Service Area includes: any municipality in Passaic County, and the following towns: Elmwood Park, Garfield, Lodi, Bloomfield, Nutley, Belleville, Montclair.

  • Pre-k - Middle Schools only.  High School garden clubs or green teams can apply for garden support within our Dig In! Community Garden Grant program

  • Schools with 50 - 100% free and reduced lunch will be given preference.

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Evaluation of Inquiries:

Schools’ inquiries will be reviewed with special attention to the following criteria:

  • Project Sustainability:  

    • School has a dynamic garden committee with multiple school and community stakeholders and provides detailed plans for an ongoing and long term garden maintenance plan

  • Garden Site Functionality:

    • Site is level, has 8 or more hours of sunlight, accessible to a water hook-up, and is safe/accessible for children of ranging abilities.

  • Clear Program Vision:

    • School provides a dynamic vision for how students and teachers will regularly utilize gardens to meet curricular objectives and provide opportunities for outdoor, nature-based learning.​

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the school garden inquiry form will open in August 1st

 

 

School GroundS Membership Program â€‹

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City Green's School Grounds Membership Program provides services and resources for active school gardens in New Jersey.  Membership support services are accessed by creating a School Grounds Member Account and accessing the Educator Portal on this web page in the top right corner. 

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To create an account:

1. Fill out this membership form.  ​

2. Once you have filled out this membership form, you will receive an email to create your account login.  3. Once your login is established, you can access the School Grounds Membership Portal on this page.​​

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School Grounds Members are divided into two categories: “Within Service Area” and “Outside Service Area.”

 

Schools within City Green’s service area include: All municipalities in Passaic County, Elmwood Park, Garfield, Lodi, Bloomfield, Nutley, Belleville, and Montclair.   

 

ONLY schools within the service area have access to the following local services and resources through the School Grounds Membership:

  • In-person garden consultation

  • Educator-led garden clean-ups in the spring and fall

  • Discounted garden additions, repairs, and bed replacements 

  • In-school field trips

 

All NJ schools, within and outside service area, have access to the following services through the School Grounds Membership:

  • Curriculum and garden guides provided on the membership portal

  • Free seed and seedling kits (to be picked up at City Green)

  • Discounted bags of garden compost (to be picked up at City Green)

  • Teacher workshops

  • The membership forum

  • Virtual garden consultation / Q & A with City Green staff â€‹â€‹â€‹

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Questions? Contact Kirsten at kyascko@city-green.org or call 973-869-4086. â€‹

 

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