Get Involved

Take a Class

Garden Educator Workshop Garden Design Garden Planning Veggie Gardening

Essentials of a Successful School Garden Program

Single Session
Tuesday, July 21
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Location
Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands
5513 S Cloverdale St
Seattle, WA 98118 United States Directions

The school garden is an amazing place for students of all ages to learn, grow, and thrive. With some planning and visioning, you can design a school garden that will provide learning opportunities for years to come. This Garden Educator Workshop will explore some essential components of how to coordinate, maintain, and teach in a successful school garden, from preschool to high school. The day will include a combination of engaging presentations, discussions, and hands-on activities.

In this workshop, we will:

  • Plan for key program support functions such as garden coordination, volunteer management, fundraising, maintenance, and events
  • Dig into creating a vision for the school garden and developing a garden support team
  • Consider aligning the school calendar and the Pacific NW annual growing climate
  • Explore outdoor teaching strategies
  • Make curriculum connections with garden & cooking activities that engage a variety of ages
  • Model activities including a garden craft and a hands-on cooking lesson that we will enjoy alongside your lunch that you bring

These workshops are designed for teachers, parents and community members — anyone who is interested in children’s and youth gardening.  All are encouraged to engage in these lively, hands-on learning sessions!  We will have a 30-minute break for lunch. Please dress for the weather and be prepared for outdoor activities.

Teachers are eligible for 5.5 STEM clock hours, which are included in the cost of the workshop. Tilth Alliance is a WA OPSI approved clock hour provider. Our instructors have a combined 40 years of experience working in and with school gardens in Seattle Public Schools, and across the country.

Register

The numbers below include tickets for this event already in your cart. Clicking "Get Tickets" will allow you to edit any existing attendee information as well as change ticket quantities.
Reduced Price
For those with financial need
$ 120.00
Regular Price
$ 180.00
Full Price
Supports Reduced Price Tickets
$ 220.00
BIPOC Solidarity
In solidarity with food justice and food sovereignty for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), we reserve spaces in each class for BIPOC community members free of charge. If you identify as BIPOC, and would benefit from a free option, select this ticket.
$ 0.00
0 available
Sold Out
Quantity: 0
Total: $ 0.00

About the Instructors

Sharon Siehl
Sharon Siehl has worked at Tilth Alliance as the Youth & Families Program Director for 12 years. She is an informal outdoor educator working with children, students, teachers, parents and community members in school gardens and outdoor spaces in Seattle (WA) Houston (TX) and Columbus (OH), for 20 years. She co-facilitates the School Learning Garden Network with Seattle Public Schools & community partners and is a co-leader with the Washington Farm to School Network.
Nirvani Bissessar
Nirvani Bissessar joined Tilth Alliance's Youth & Families team in 2023. She relocated to Seattle from Brooklyn, where she was a classroom teacher for over 20 years.  She helped start a school focused on service, stewardship and community organizing and created curriculum on food justice, environmental ed, and engaging students in growing and connecting with food and plants through the seasons. She manages our camps, after-school, field trips, service learning, family events, high school workshops, and school-based classroom and garden education.

Additional Information

Accessibility & Equity

Tilth Alliance strives to provide educational experiences that honor our values of accessibility and equity. Currently, we offer:

  • A sliding scale pricing structure to make our classes accessible for everyone, regardless of financial means. Please select the ticket type that works for you.
  • In solidarity with food justice and food sovereignty for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), we reserve spaces in each class for BIPOC community members free of charge. If you identify as BIPOC, and would benefit from a free option, please select BIPOC Solidarity ticket.

Cancellation Policy

Please review our cancellation policy.

Member Benefits

Tilth Alliance members receive a discount on most classes— join as a member today! For current members, please enter your discount code at checkout.

Health & Safety

We offer a mix of online, in-person and hybrid online/in-person classes. During our in-person sessions, we follow current COVID-19 safety protocols. Please review our COVID-19 policies before registering.

Questions?

Please reach out to Marni Sorin if you have any questions.