Presented by Sam Ullery, School Garden Specialist at the Office of the State Superintendent of Education in Washington, DC; with Kate Lee and Kealy Rudersdorf, DC school garden coordinators

Co-hosted by edWeb.net and the National Farm to School Network

View the webinar Skills of a Successful School Garden Coordinator

What skills are required to manage a successful school garden program? Join us for our community’s next webinar when Sam Ullery, School Garden Specialist at the Office of the State Superintendent of Education in Washington, DC will outline a framework of skills that contribute to a well-managed, effective school garden program. This framework can be used as a guide for your school garden program to help you to take full advantage of your school garden as an outdoor classroom. Additionally, two DC school garden coordinators will provide concrete examples of how putting these skills into practice has positively impacted their school garden programs.

Highlights from the session:

In this vibrant webinar presenters discussed the skills needed to grow and nurture a successful school garden.  Sam, Kealy, and Kate talked about everything from pest control for your garden to managing your garden program. They even shared secrets to keeping your tools from rusting.  Participants also voted in several interactive polls on topics such as important rules for your school garden.

To take the CE Quiz and access the resources for this session visit the professional learning community visit the professional learning community Growing School Gardens

About the Community

School gardens are a growing initiative to help children understand where their food comes from and how their food choices impact their bodies, the environment, and their communities at large.

A school garden can have an impact on the entire life and educational program of school and the surrounding community. Gardening activities can be incorporated into nearly every curriculum subject to enhance the appreciation of the natural world, and to provide hands-on learning activities for students.

This online learning community is a place for educators, gardeners, parents, and community volunteers to come together to share information and resources on how to start and maintain a school garden, and integrate it into the curriculum and the life of a school.

About the Presenters

Sam Ullery is the School Garden Specialist at the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education’s Division of Wellness and Nutrition. Sam has six years of inner city high school science teaching experience where he challenged students to engage in the food system through gardening. In his current role, Sam collaborates with garden-based organizations to ensure the 80-plus DC school gardens receive the technical support, training, and resources needed to continue to engage youth in garden-based learning. Sam also serves as the co-president of the DC Schoolyard Greening Committee.

Kate Lee holds a degree in Horticulture from the Univ. of Georgia and has 5 years of experience in urban farming. As owner and head grower Capital City Farm Co., an urban micro-farming business, Kate works with schools, non-profits, and residents around Washington, DC developing garden programs, growing vegetables, and educating future gardeners. Her skills also include drip irrigation installation, compost management, and beekeeping.

Kealy Rudersdorf is DC Greens’ Garden Educator at Stoddert Elementary. She teaches garden-based lessons in the spring and fall with the students, leads community open times in the garden during the summer, and provides environmental-based science lessons during the winter. Kealy has a B.S. in Civil Engineering and a M.A. in Teaching, and has earned a LEED accreditation and a certificate in permaculture design. In addition to working with DC Greens, Kealy helps to manage two farmers’ markets.

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