Getting Started

Starting a School Garden
Nourishing Our Children’s Curiosity

Planning is such an important first step toward developing a school garden program. Taking time to think through a project first is vital to the sustainability and long-term goals of the program. Site location, planning for usage, staff training, custodial concerns, and garden maintenance for all seasons must be considered. The following sites will help in addressing these concerns.

Form a School Garden Committee – Creating a School Garden Committee to help vision and network with faculty and community is essential for long-term success. Creating partnerships with the community will also help the garden become sustainable. Committees can be made up of parents, interested faculty or administration, and community members. The committee can meet regularly as the vision and planning for the future garden is forming and later for maintaining a vibrant program.

Center for Ecoliteracy Getting Started
Description: Free download Getting Started is a 51-page guide designed and published by the Center for Ecoliteracy in collaboration with Life Lab Science Program, a national leader in garden-based education. This guide outlines each step of the way.

Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University
Description: This site offers a six-step path to creating a school garden. Step One - Form a Garden Committee offers a short explanation of the roles a garden committee plays in starting and maintaining a successful school garden program.

National Gardening Association
Description: Includes information on forming a garden committee.

Kids Gardening
Description: This site includes a complete list of steps to building a youth garden including gathering support, design, sustaining and funding.

School Garden Wizard
Description: This site offers a series of free, downloadable guides; Making the Case, Plan for Success, Create the Garden, Learn in the Garden (curriculum) and Keep it Growing.

School Garden Start-up Guide: Easy Steps to Building a Sustainable School Garden Program
Common Ground Garden Program, University of California Cooperative Extension

Create a Wellness Committee or Wellness Policy – Another way to provide vision and clarity to your school garden is to write a School Wellness Policy that includes the vision for the garden space and its use. The following resources are meant to give direction to those decision-making processes. A few schools on Hawai’i Island have integrated their school garden into their Wellness Policy for nutritional education and physical activity goals.

Wellness Policy Development Toolkit
Office of Hawaii Child Nutrition Programs, Team Nutrition, Hawaii State Department of Education

"Model Wellness Policy Guide"
Center For Ecoliteracy

Sample Student Safety Pledge & Liability Waiver Word and PDF
This sample form is to be used as a guideline only. Please make sure any waiver form you develop is approved by your school administration.