Adopt a Garden
Adopt a School Garden
We're looking for volunteer groups to commit to helping with the physical work of building and maintaining a school garden. Teachers need to focus on their students. Let's give them a break and take on the garden tasks that can overwhelm busy teachers. The Urban Roots ‘Adopt a School Garden’ program pairs community groups with schools to build and/or maintain school gardens. Many teachers, parents, and school administrators want a school garden to use as an outdoor classroom but lack the resources, especially time, to implement a successful sustainable garden program.
Urban Roots partner schools participating in our Garden Classrooms program make a commitment to a long-lasting school garden that is integrated into the culture of the school. To help them have long-term success, we seek philanthropically minded groups to help the school with the maintenance of their garden.
What is the Time Commitment?
We ask that each Adopt a School Garden group dedicate 1-2 hours per week during the spring and fall to the school’s garden. This can happen during the week, or for some schools, on the weekend. During the summer, this commitment may increase to 2-3 hours per week. We ask each group to commit to one year of service, typically March - November. If your group is enjoying the program, you’re encouraged to adopt that school garden again!
What Do We Do at the Garden?
Urban Roots is at the school helping to coordinate many of the garden tasks into the classroom or afterschool activities. We need volunteers who will help to complete tasks the students didn’t have time for during class. These tasks include: watering, weeding, removing dead plants, harvesting, and planting.
But I Don't Know Anything About Gardening.
That’s okay! We offer seasonal training to our volunteer groups to ensure they understand the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ of basic garden tasks. You’re not alone. An Urban Roots Educator is at each of these schools on a regular basis working with students in the garden and helping to coordinate garden ‘To Do’ lists. These schools also have a Garden Committee that you are welcome to join!
(or I have questions)