In addition to our direct education program at 9 schools, we aim o support the broader community with school garden resources:
- To help meet the growing demand for resources & information about school gardens we offer a School Gardens page with helpful resources;
- To support SUN programs who want to offer Garden Club, we have published a downloadable PDF of our Youth Grow Lesson Plan Manual;
- To support Portland Public Schools Nutrition Services incorporating fresh, locally grown produce in their cafeterias, we encourage people to engage in their Harvest of the Month program;
- To support farm & garden educators in our greater community, we coordinate the Portland Farm and Garden Educators Network (PFGEN) which aims to connect educators, volunteers, youth, families and community members who support healthy food culture, wellness and Portland-area food security through sustainable food and agriculture education;
- To encourage garden loving teachers and community member to provide more garden education, we offer a School Garden Coordinator Certificate Training every June, and a Professional Learning Community for Classroom teachers every January;
Volunteer and Internship Opportunities:
Learn how to provide garden-based education by volunteering or interning with Youth Grow. If you are interested in working with elementary aged children and can commit to volunteering 2 hours once a week for 6-10 weeks, fill out the Youth Grow Volunteer application form. Contact our Youth Grow Program Manager at sarahc@new.growing-gardens.org for more information.
Seasonal volunteer educator trainings are held 3 times per year. No gardening experience is necessary. All volunteers are subject to a background check.