The Cobb County Master Gardeners are involved with more than fifty (50) public or private schools in a wide variety of ways including training, consultations and in some cases, organizing and implementing Junior Master Gardener (grades 3-5) and Sprouts (Grades K -2) after school programs.
School gardens come in all shapes and sizes. They grow food and herbs in pots, plots, raised beds, green houses and aeroponic towers. Students, teachers, staff, parents and volunteers garden for a healthier environment, something tasty to eat, or for a place to stop and smell the roses!
Research shows that school gardens foster academic achievement and improve attitudes toward school and learning. The garden is the “lab” for teaching many subjects including nutrition, math and science. It is also a good place to learn responsibility and the value of hard work. For these reasons and more, schools are embracing gardens as an educational activity for children during or after school. Cobb Master Gardeners, through its Education Committee and teacher Master Gardeners are working together to bring the benefits of gardens to our schools and community.
Periodically, the University of Georgia offers Master Gardener training programs for educators during the summer break. Many of these graduates have started or enhanced the gardens at their schools. The Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County have promoted participation through the school systems by offering full or partial scholarships. For more information on the next available training dates and times, please call the Cobb County Extension office, 770 528-4070.
The Community Sprouts program, a collective of teachers, community volunteers, Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, students and school system administrators, spearheaded by Master Gardener Michelle Gambon has taken gardening to a higher level. Starting in the City of Marietta Schools, the gardens are used as focal points to teach math and also help in the social development of students through:
- Tying the outdoor classroom garden to the school curriculum
- Nutrition education
- Second harvest food sharing and landfill reduction
For more information on school gardening in Cobb County or for a school garden consultation, please contact the Cobb County Extension Office at 770 528-4070.