"Every School a Garden"

At the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, we have helped more than 200 schools use their landscape as an outdoor classroom. This website offers resources to help you--teacher, school administrator or parent--create, design, maintain and utilize an outdoor space for educational purposes.

The research is clear; contact with nature plays a critical role in education...

Improves concentration, productivity and cognitive development

Relieves symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

Feeds the imagination

Encourages a "sense of wonder"

Provides sensory stimulation

Fosters language and collaborative skills

Buffers the impact of stress and helps children deal with adversity

Encourages physical activity and offsets obesity (1 in 4 children is obese)

Stimulates social interaction between children

Reduces passive time spent watching TV

Appeals to a wider range of individual characteristics (gender, age, personality, learning styles and abilities) than artificial settings

Improves the structure, chemistry and function of the brain

"THE SUNFLOWER PROJECT" is an arts and interdisciplinary curriculum created with the support of the Nebraska Arts Council.
It is one of the 2006-07 visual arts projects offered by Arts Are Basic.
Sunflower Interdisciplinary Curriculum for grades 8-12 has 10 projects tied to state standards in science, social science, reading/writing/speaking and environmental studies.
Sunflower Arts Curriculum for grades K-12 has 22 projects using a wide variety of art forms.
"Sunflowers of Nebraska: A Practical Guide to Identifying Sunflower" is an interactive identification guide to Nebraska's sunflowers that includes a video segment for "building" a sunflower, audio pronunciation of scientific names, etc. To obtain a CD of this copyrighted identification guide, email NSA.

ETHNOBOTANY CURRICULUM
Ethnobotany high school curriculum created by Bob Feurer, North Bend High School Science Instructor and Curator of Franklin-Cotterell Greens Arboretum (NSA affiliate)

FUNDING FOR SCHOOL GARDENS

Community Enhancement Program
PDF Application for tree-planting funds through Trees for Nebraska Towns
National Wildlife Federation
Natural Resource District funding ( Department of Natural Resources)

RESEARCH

Arbor Day: Teaching Youth about Trees
Children and Nature Network
Environmental Education and Training Partnership
Environmental Education on the Internet
Environmental Organization Web Directory
Fall Color
FloraSearch, interactive guide to identifying Nebraska's wildflowers
Garden-based Learning
Horticulture for Teachers & Kids (Hort Paradise)
Interview with Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods
Kids Gardening Site
Leopold Education Project
Natural Learning website (includes research by Robin Moore, etc.)
Nebraska Project Learning Tree and Project Wet
Partnership for Plant-based Education
Suggested reading: Richard Louv's Last Child in the Woods

SCHOOL GARDEN & ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS

Learning through Landscapes
Nebraska Alliance for Conservation and Environment Education
National Arbor Day Foundation
National Wildlife Federation

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