From Soil to Plate: First Graders Discover the Journey of Food
By Angie Bruder, Garden Educator How does food get here? Does it just appear in stores? To answer that question, first graders at West Godwin explored the fascinating journey of cornflakes from soil to plate. Students learned that all foods come from nature, and then many foods are trucked to factories for processing and packaging. […]
H.O.P.E. Gardens Featured in School News Network: Cultivating Community and Learning
This year, H.O.P.E. Gardens was honored to be one of only four organizations in Michigan awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program. School News Network visited our schools to learn more about what this grant means for us. Check out their article here.
A Family School Garden Adventure at STEM Night!
We loved being a part of West Elementary’s STEM Night, showcasing the beautiful garden that students helped create! Families enjoyed a fruit salsa tasting and were given a kid-friendly recipe cookbook before heading out to explore the school garden. For many parents, it was their first time seeing the garden, and their children proudly led […]
Garden Detectives on the Case: Uncovering Nature’s Secrets with All Five Senses!
This year, 3rd and 4th graders from four Wyoming elementary schools are embarking on the Great Garden Detective Adventure! In their first lesson, the young detectives used their five senses to gather clues about the fruits and vegetables growing in the garden. As part of this exploration, they tasted a variety of produce and used […]
From Bloom to Seed: Harvesting Sunflowers for Next Season’s Growth
Harvesting Sunflowers!
From Vine to Cup: Empower U Students Make Their Own Grape Juice
From the vine to the cup! Concorde Grape Juice!
Parent Night Open Houses in the Garden
“I’m Growing Food at Home!”We were thrilled to hear that families from Parkview, Oriole Park, and Gladiola Elementary have been embracing gardening at home! During the recent Parent Open House events at all three schools, excitement filled the air as students proudly guided their parents through the gardens they helped cultivate. These vibrant gardens, full […]
H.O.P.E. Gardens: Cultivating Creativity and Curiosity in Summer School Gardens
As the summer sun shines brightly over Wyoming, MI, H.O.P.E. Gardens is abuzz with excitement and activity. Our 13 school gardens are thriving, providing a vibrant backdrop for our summer programming. This year, we’ve crafted a series of engaging lessons that not only entertain but also educate our young gardeners. From painting pavers to repurposing […]
Growing Future Gardeners!
At H.O.P.E. Gardens, one of our most important missions is to teach children how to grow their own food. A cornerstone of this educational endeavor is our commitment to heirloom plants. By focusing on these traditional varieties, we not only preserve biodiversity but also offer a tangible link to the past, showing students the value […]
Growing Green: Teaching Kids the Value of Garden Produce through Fun and Games
by Kathy Bego, Garden Educator During our April classes, kids engaged in well-designed “Fun and Games” to learn that the vegetables they grow in their school gardens are worth money! A short slide deck introduced the monetary value of produce by featuring shots of an abundant school garden harvest and a grocery store flier.A clip […]