Thursday, May 11, is Give STL Day, and this year Gateway Greening is raising $10,000 to support programs that are more than “just” gardening – like the creation of new Seed to STEM curriculum for St. Louis educators!
Drawing on more than 5 years of experience working with local K-5 teachers, the Gateway Greening Youth Educators are building a new curriculum, Seed to STEM, to help St. Louis teachers take class outside.
“We know, on average, children need to spend more time outdoors and moving than they currently do but it is difficult to fit it into the school schedule. Incorporating the school garden into the school day means that teachers and students have the opportunity to get out, move, and get their hands dirty every day, which improves mood, concentration, and learning.” – Kathleen Carson, Gateway Greening Education Manager
This new curriculum pairs Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Saint Louis Public Schools science curriculum to ensure that lessons developed in the garden are more than just “extra activities.” Instead, Seed to STEM curriculum provides teachers with an opportunity to meet their curricular goals while still taking their students outside for hands-on learning activities.
“Gardens are a place of wonder and science just outside the school door! In school gardens, kids spark their curiosity and engage with the natural world. It is easier than ever to make science connections come alive with the Seed to STEM curriculum.” – Lucy Herleth, Gateway Greening Youth Educator
Exciting news! A generous donor has offered to match every dollar we raise during Give STL Day – up to $5,000! Donate now to DOUBLE your impact and support another year of youth gardening and urban agriculture in St. Louis!
Throughout St. Louis City and County, school gardens are providing valuable outdoor classrooms and living laboratories.
Children do not yet have the life experiences that allow them to incorporate the new information that they hear or read into their understanding of the world the way that adults do, making it critically important that students “get their hands dirty.” As educators, we want students to touch, feel, manipulate, and observe their surroundings with their own senses so that when the students encounter more abstract information, they have experience to “hang” it on. School gardens are cost-effective spaces in which to offer that experience.
“Our garden is a place where kids grow all kinds of things. They grow fruit, vegetables, spices, knowledge, experience, teamwork, and fun. It allows our students to be a part of something that they can create and see grow. That is the power of our garden.” – Mr. C. Rooney, Interim AP, and Garden Leader at Shaw VPA Elementary
Make a difference in St. Louis this Give STL Day – Give a gift to support programs like
Seed to STEM!
Discover more Gateway Greening supported projects at work in St. Louis:
Dig it STL – We believe that young people are powerful, and that their involvement in our community food projects is the key to a healthy and sustainable future for St. Louis.
Gateway Greening Urban Farm and City Seeds therapeutic job training program – The Gateway Greening Urban Farm is a 2.5-acre vegetable farm in downtown St. Louis. The site is used as an outdoor learning laboratory to teach the community valuable skills related to employment readiness, therapeutic horticulture, food systems, and so much more.
Storybook – We could tell you all about our network of more 220+ community gardens, but it’s more fun to let you read their stories, in their own words on the Gateway Greening Storybook.