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Many believe that learning at school happens only inside the classroom. Now we recognize that the whole school environment is involved in children's development. The school grounds are:
  • a source of food for improving children's diet and health;
  • a source of healthy influences (clean drinking water, physical activity, hygienic latrines, washbasins, school meals);
  • an area for learning (about nature, agriculture, nutrition);
  • a place of pleasure and recreation (flowers and shrubs, play areas, shade, eating areas);
  • a continuing lesson in respecting the environment and taking pride in one's school.

Tarmac, dry earth, mud and empty fields are turning into green grounds, outdoor laboratories, vegetable plots, herb gardens, play spaces and study areas. School gardens are leading this change.

--- FAO



  1. 2009-01-20 This FAO book provides a teaching toolkit with detailed information for starting school gardens in various parts of the world. Divided by topic sections-no page numbers, illustrated
  2. What are the benefits of school and community gardens? The students at the schools enjoy the benefits of the plants they have grown as they are provided with a nutritious lunch at school. Initially children only tend the plants at school, but within a short time-frame they can be provided with...
  3. 2013-12-01 Brad Ward has many years of experience in agricultural finance as a loan officer and underwriter, and has reviewed and advised on hundreds of business and farm plans. Currently he works on the North Coast of Honduras as the farm manager for Cornerstone Farm/Hospital Loma de Luz. He also works...
  4. Creating and maintaining community and school gardens has been identified as an effective strategy to increase healthy food awareness and consumption. Fresh fruit and vegetables have unfortunately been linked to over 450 outbreaks of foodborne illness in the U.S. since 1990. In commercial food...
  5. 2012-01-01 In the United States, as in many other countries, schoolyard and community gardens are gaining popularity. Such gardens have potential for much more than just contributing to food security. Participants learn about nutrition and growing food, and they connect in a deeper way with where food comes...
  6. We create opportunities for kids to learn though gardening, engaging their natural curiosity and wonder by providing inspiration, community know-how and resources. For 35 years, KidsGardening has led the school gardening movement. As a national nonprofit, we are improving nutritional attitudes,...
  7. Few hobbies in life offer such delicious rewards for time and effort as gardening does. As enjoyable as the yummy rewards are, gardening is also one of those activities that provides so much more than a snack. Gardening is an excellent activity for anyone. Adults find peace, relaxation, and food,...
  8. If you cannot make it to the professional development classes at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, you can still download the materials to use in your classroom. Each course unitincludes handouts, resources, vocabulary lists, suggested homework activities, labs and other activities for the...
  9. 2016-02-09 The elementary garden club at Dalat International School in Penang, Malaysia is reaching out to help Burmese Rohyngya refugees. The club meets once a week to learn about good gardening practices and the principles behind the hydroponics. The students have been working on a small portable...
  10. Children learn the most when they are actively "doing," and this makes gardening an ideal subject to be teaching at school. A new garden brings a schoolyard to life and gives teachers and students a whole new perspective on learning.
  11. 2002-01-01 This publication describes the major aims, educational and economic,of school garden programs 13 pages
  12. 2011-01-01 Florida Agriculture in the Classroom, Inc.'s Gardening for Grades activity booklet was designed to help teachers educate students about the importance of Florida agriculture. The booklet highlights several kinds of school gardens and the resources to create them. Florida produces more fresh...
  13. School gardens can help to provide healthy school meals and generate income for school funds, but they are primarily a platform for learning - learning how to grow food for a healthy diet, improve the soil, protect the environment, market food for profit, enjoy garden food and, not least,...
  14. 2009-04-30 Founded by the Bonita Springs Community Foundation, the ECHO Edible Schoolyard project is a joint community initiative promoting agricultural education through experimental grardening at Bonita Springs Middle School. This garden will give students many opportunities to learn about edible plants,...
  15. The Save the Children School Garden Manual has been compiled in the belief that this essential activity can be incorporated in school programs in a way that enriches the depth and variety of the school curriculum; while also teaching students more about an activity which, in many parts of the...
  16. 2002-03-06 8 - 12 years New city. New school. Michael is feeling all alone—until he discovers the school garden! There’s so many ways to learn, and so much work to do. Taste a leaf? Mmm, nice and tangy hot. Dig for bugs? “Roly-poly!” he yells. But the garden is much more than activities outdoors: making...
  17. 1987-01-01 The purpose of this resource manual is to provide primary school teachers with ideas for lessons and activites which can be taught in the school garden.
  18. 1990-01-01 GrowLab: Activities for Growing Minds is a K-8 curriculum guide for use with an indoor classroom garden, from a windowsil to a home-make or ready-to-assemble GrowLab Indoor Garden.
  19. 2014-01-01 The OUTREACH Learning-by-Doing leaflets have been especially designed for middle school and high school teachers in Third World countries. The Learning-by-Doing leaflets, as the name implies, include a variety of hands-on activities designed to foster the most pressing health and environmental...
  20. 2014-01-01 The OUTREACH Learning-by-Doing leaflets have been especially designed for middle school and high school teachers in Third World countries.The leaflets provide some basic scientific information and the tools of scientific inquiry, which students can use to closely examine technologies being used...
  21. Directions on how to set up a school garden, as well as activities to teachfrom a school garden.
  22. This resource includes: how to get started, how to stretch a limited or non-existent budget, what inspired adult gardeners when they were children, and types of gardens from simple to complex. Additional resource links include: videos, articles, and books.
  23. ECHO-North America Field Trip Resources Continue the ECHO learning experience in your classroom or home! Explore these enrichment activities that are designed to engage students and support your curriculum. Each document contains a complete set of student materials, teacher answer keys, and...
  24. As educators, we have an important task ahead. the next generation of decision-makers is being educated in your classroom. How can you help? By starting this generation off with information and habits that emphasize reducing the amount of waste we produce, reusing, recycling and composting...
  25. 2020-01-20 This book critically assesses the role of agrobiodiversity in school gardens and its contribution to diversifying diets, promoting healthy eating habits and improving nutrition among schoolchildren as well as other benefits relating to climate change adaptation, ecoliteracy and greening school...
  26. The SGSO Network is an open peer-to-peer learning network with the goal of growing, sustaining and elevating a movement of equitable garden-based education. We provide professional & leadership development, resources, and platforms to connect for members serving at a school, district,...
  27. The goal of Composting in the Classroom is to provide high school science teachers with the background needed to engage students in research focusing on composting. There are a number of reasons why composting research lends itself well to the classroom setting. First, composting of yard wastes...