Here is a recap of our events:

EVENTS

  • DC School Garden Week Kick-Off 2007
    October 15 at La Salle Elementary School, 501 Riggs Rd, NE

    Approximately 50 students, teachers, parents, and community members joied us for the kick-off event at La Salle ES. Led by teacher David Hilmy, fourth grade students at La Salle ES showed us the school's new outdoor wetland. Those on hand to celebrate included: Mayor Adrian Fenty, Michelle Rhee (DCPS Chancellor), Councilmember Muriel Bowser (Ward 4), George Hawkins (Director, District Department of the Environment), and Dr. Michael Kaspar (DCPS Director of Science). Shelby Laubhan (DCEEC Co-president) presented awards to the student photo contest winners.

     DC School Garden Week Kick-Off 2008
    October 6 at Anne Beers ES, 3600 Alabama Ave, SE

    In a partnership that formed during the first DCEEC Teacher's Night at the US Botanic Garden, students installed a 24’ x 24’ butterfly-style labyrinth and planting of some 100 milkweed and nectar plants. Under the direction of Stephanie Harris (Anne Beers ES Science Coordinator), students read poetry and sang a song about butterflies. Speakers included: Dr. Hamid Karimi (Deputy Director, District Department of the Environment), Carrie Thornhill (DC STEM Chair), Tom Estill (NASA), Rev. Kendrick Curry (Senior Pastor, Pennsylvania Ave Baptist Church), and Sandra Nitchie and William Dent (Monarch Sister Schools Program). Kathy Jentz (Editor, Washington Gardener magazine) presented awards to the student photo contest winners. Click here for the 1-page description.
  • DC School Garden Week Kick-Off 200
    October 5 at Watkins Elementary School, 420 12th St, SE

  • School Garden Activities and Workdays

    These schools and organizations reported their activities and workdays during DC School Garden Week:
    • Amidon ES: The PreK class and 5th grade class worked with Project Learning Tree to investigate their gardens using the "Adopt a Tree" and "The Closer You Look" activities from the Project Learning Tree curriculum guide. (2007)
    • Anacostia SHS: As part of a Youth Summit, approximately 100 students and 6 teachers planted a memorial garden with native plants and learned about the Chesapeake Bay watershed. This event was organized by the District Department of the Environment, Student Conservation Association, Living Classrooms of the National Capital Region, and the Anacostia Watershed Society, as part of a NOAA Bay-Watershed Education and Training grant. (2007)
    • Bancroft ES: In partnership with City Year-DC, 30 students and 34 volunteers planted ~250 bulbs donated by the UDC Cooperative Extension Service.(2007)
    • Burroughs ES: The 1st grade class and 3rd grade class worked with Project Learning Tree to investigate their gardens using the "Schoolyard Safari" and "The Closer You Look" activities from the Project Learning Tree curriculum guide. (2007)
    • Cardozo SHS: In partnership with the Monarch Effect Foundation and 21 volunteers from City Year-DC, Cardozo expanded its Peace Garden to include a new butterfly habitat garden. (2007)
    • Emery ES: In partnership with City Year-DC, 10 volunteers helped Emery ES with garden planting and maintenance. (2007-8)
    • KAMIT Charter School: In partnership with City Year-DC, students winterized the garden, weeded, and installed a memorial bench. (2008)
    • Kimball ES: In partnership with City Year-DC, 10 volunteers helped with mulching and weeding. (2008)
    • McKinley Tech SHS: In partnership with City Year-DC and District Department of the Environment, 80 students planted 11 trees as part of Phase 1 of the construction of an outdoor learning lab. (2008)
    • McKinsey and Company: As part of a volunteer day that coincided with DC School Garden Week (but was organized separately), 80 adults worked at 4 elementary schools (Rudolph, Walker-Jones, Gibbs, and Noyes) to plant evergreen bushes, shrubs, flowers, and bulbs. (2007)
    • Miner ES: In partnership with City Year-DC, winterizing projects. (2008)
    • Miner ES: In partnership with DC for Obama, Tubman students planted and learned about garden care while helping to improve their school garden. (2009)
    • West ES: In partnership with City Year-DC, volunteers helped the schools with planting shrubs and bulbs, garden prep for planting in the spring, and composting and mulching. (2008)

  • Tours of DC School Gardens
    We organize different tours for people to visit some of the exemplary and diverse greening projects at various DC schools. At the sites, participants learned how these outdoor spaces are easily be integrated into the teaching curriculum and received ideas for how to start school projects.
    • Bike Hop (2007): The Women's Garden Cycles Project led approximately 20 people on a 10-mile bike tour of vegetable and herb gardens at four Northwest DC schools: Bancroft ES, DC Bilingual Public Charter School , Children's Studio School, and Horace Mann ES.
    • Schoolyards Bike Tour (2009): This tour visited Brent ES, Watkins ES, Bancroft ES, Tubman ES, and Girard Children's Garden.
    • Schoolyards Bus Tour (2007): On this 4th annual tour, particpants visited Watkins ES, Sharpe Health School, Lowell School, LaSalle ES, and Cesar Chavez Public Charter School for Public Policy, Parkside Campus.
    • Schoolyards Bus Tour (2008): Participants visited Anne Beers ES, Kimball ES, KAMIT Charter High School, La Salle/Backus Education Campus, CentroNia Pre-K Incentive Program (located at the Carlos Rosario School).
    • Schoolyards Bus Tour (2009): Participants visited Brent ES, Emery ES, Ludlow-Taylor ES, River Terrace ES, and Thurgood Marshall Academy PCHS.
    • Capitol Hill Walking Tour (2008): Three elementary schools (Brent ES, Tyler ES, and Watkins ES) in the Capitol Hill area welcomed visitors to an "open garden" on a self-paced tour.
    • Tree Walk (2007): Local non-profit Casey Trees hosted a Tree Walk at Murch Elementary School, where the organization has partnered with the school's Home and School Association to plant over 100 trees. Participants practiced their tree identification skills and saw excellent examples of "right tree, right place."
  1. School Garden Photo Contest! DC Schoolyard Greening sponsors a photo contest for all students in grades K-12.

    We also recognized the 16 students who won prizes from our School Photo Contest. There were over 100 submissions from 9 schools, and

    Click here     to see the 2007 winning photos. 
    Click here to see the 2008 winning photos.
    Click here to see the 2009 winning photos.

    The photos have been displayed at Children's Studio School, Cardozo Senior High School, Horace Mann Elementary School, and at the MLK Public Library.
  2. Lecture Series: Building a School Garden (2009)
    As part of an Urban Gardening lecture series, Grace Manubay, DCEEC Co-President, spoke about the basics of starting a school garden. Attendees learned about four different but successful school gardens in Washington, DC. The lecture series was presented by the Historical Society of Washington (HSW), DC Urban Gardeners, and Washington Gardener Magazine.
  3. Student Film Screening (2009)
    Were you ever curious about where your school lunch comes from? Students at Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School in Anacostia set out to figure it out for themselves. Members of the schoo's Green Team and their teacher Sam Ullery showed the first installment of their documentary.

  4. Panel Discussion: How Can I Start a School Garden (2007)
    Five panelists spoke to an intimate audience about their experiences working with school gardens in Washington.  There was discussion of successes and challenges, teaching techniques, funding opportunities, and participants had the opportunity to network with others. 
    Panelists include:
    • Gilda Allen, Environmental Specialist, District Department of the Environment
    • Cheryl Corson, Landscape Architect, Cheryl Corson Design
    • Marti Goldstone, Teacher, Horace Mann Elementary School
    • Michael Kaspar, Director of Science, DC Public Schools
    • Judy Tiger, former Executive Director, Garden Resources of Washington

PRESS

  • DC School Garden Week Mayoral proclamation (2007)
  • Click here to read the DC School Garden Week named one of the top 9 Home and Garden events for fall 2007.
  • Click here to read an article about School Garden Week in the September 2007 issue of the Hill Rag.
  • Click here to read an article from the Washington Examiner (Real Estate section - October 12 2007 edition - page 11). Plus: We made another one of their top Home & Gardens Events --read it here!
  • Click here for a brief write-up from NBC4
  • Click here for the listing on 94.7 The Globe's Web site
  • Click here for an article from the Northwest Current summarizing School Garden Week events!!
  • Click here to read the School Garden Week 2007 Press Release
  • Click here for the press release from the District Department of the Environment website.
  • Click here for Project Learning Tree's Press Release

  • Click here to read DC City Council's DC School Garden Week Recognition Resolution of 2008 (large file - takes awhile to download).
  • Click here to download the 2008 press release.
  • Read this article in the October Hill Rag.
  • Read this aricle in the November Washington Diplomat.
  • Download this November edition of Express to read an article by the Associated Press on page 39.
  • District Department of the Environment's Press Release (2009)
  • Earth Day Network Blog post
  • The Slow Cook Blog post
  • City Renewed Blog post

 

PARTNERS IN D.C. SCHOOL GARDEN WEEK