 Granny's
Garden School is about the community coming together to create
a healthy, fun, creative and effective outdoor learning environment to
enhance our school system. It is located on the shared campus of
the Loveland, OH Primary and
Elementary schools that are attended by 1,500 first through fourth
graders. We are turning the school grounds and surrounding woods into living
laboratories used by teachers, students and the community.
Though based on school grounds, Granny's Garden
School is a separate non-profit organization. We partner with but are separate
from the school system. We raise our own funds through private donations,
grants and annual fundraising events.
Founded in the spring of
2002 by a grandmother wanting to give kids a chance to pick
flowers, the organization sponsors a
variety
of programs. We have fifty 10' x 20' class
gardens where students come out weekly with their teachers to
grow vegetables. Students routinely taste produce
as they are working in the gardens, in the fall, they
do the major harvest during
harvest
month. Some of the produce is being served in the
school
cafeterias. There are many special gardens, i.e. herbs, perennials
and the
sweet potato
patch that are used by all of the classes. In 2003 the program
expanded to the
early childhood
center (pre-K and kindergarten) with an additional 500 students. In
2004 we added a
nature trail
on the original campus.
The children come out as
part of their school day with their teachers and GGS volunteers to work
in the gardens and explore the trail. The hands on learning gives
students real world opportunities to gain a greater understanding of the
sciences of Botany, Horticulture and Entomology. The school grounds
are also used to enhance the teaching of English, Math, History,
Geography and to encourage good nutrition and environmental stewardship.
The organization is governed by a board of directors. It is run by
executive director, Roberta Paolo, with a small part time
staff and the assistance of a group of dedicated
volunteers known as Granny's Gardeners.
You are invited to come
by for a visit. Granny loves to show people around the gardens.
Allow about an hour. There is a lot to see. The rule in Granny's
Gardens is that flowers are for picking. Visit spring – fall and
Granny will encourage you to pick a bouquet to take with you. You
can take a virtual
tour right now.
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