Governor Evers has proclaimed Thursday, May 20, 2021 is Wisconsin School Garden Day!
Read Governor Evers’ proclamation.
Read Wisconsin School Garden Day 2021 press release.
Wisconsin is a leader in garden-based education. This day brings recognition to the people and programs giving Wisconsin’s youth access to innovative, hands-on educational opportunities.
Now, more than ever, youth garden educators are displaying resilience, innovation, and creativity as schools and programs are finding ways to continue making gardens an essential part of children’s education.
You can participate in Wisconsin School Garden Day by engaging in some type of garden-based education activity or celebration on May 20, 2021 (or another day that week).
This year, you may be celebrating virtually or in person. We encourage everyone to celebrate Wisconsin School Garden Day in a way that is safe and best fits them and/or their programs. Any activity that involves kids engaging with a garden or gardening–including, but not limited to, activities around planting, observing, art, literature, STEM, weeding, and planning–can be a way to celebrate Wisconsin School Garden Day.
If you’re looking for inspiration:
- Scroll through last year’s participants and 2019 participants to see what other programs have done to celebrate.
- Read through the 2021 Wisconsin School Garden Day Activity Guide for suggestions that are engaging and easy to implement at your school or program.
- Organizations from across the country have been developing activities and curricular materials to help families and educators incorporate garden-based learning–both in the garden and in the virtual classroom–in ways that are accessible to all children. You can find these high quality, free resources here.
We want to know what you have planned! If you know how you will celebrate Wisconsin School Garden Day, tell us about it! You can email Communications Director Renata Solan or share on Twitter or Facebook with the hashtag #WISchoolGardenDay.
.
Copy the Wisconsin School Garden Day logo to use at your program!
Wisconsin School Garden Day Celebrations:
Wisconsin schools, programs, educators, and early care sites are letting us know how they will celebrate Wisconsin School Garden Day this year. Check out their plans below!
These celebrations are in addition to many students across the state who will be celebrating in their homes, gardens, and neighborhoods with their families. If you know how you plan to celebrate Wisconsin School Garden Day, let us know!
- Arbor Vitae-Woodruff Elementary, Woodruff: Little Free Seed Library and a visit with Alice in Dairyland
- Blooming Grove Montessori, Madison: All students will participate in gardening activities
- FoodWIse: Highlights of school gardens on social media accounts
- Green Bay Botanical Garden: Visitors are welcome to come out for a self-guided visit. There are scavenger hunts and drop-in activity bins placed throughout the Garden all centered around the newest exhibit: Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea.
- GROW, LaCrosse: Rep. Billings will be visiting during a garden lesson to learn from and with the students.
- Lakeview Elementary School, Madison: Students will be planting vegetable seedlings, including tomatoes, peppers and herbs, in their raised garden beds and will be hosting special visitors–Lt. Governor Barnes and Rep. Samba Baldeh!
- Lansing Food Forest, Madison: Neighborhood kids will gather to help tend the garden
- Maryland Avenue Montessori, Milwaukee: Planting asparagus in collaboration with Food Right
- Oregon Public Schools: Students will be taste testing asparagus from a local producer. Throughout the week, elementary schools will be planting seedlings started together in April.
- Prairie Hill Waldorf School, Pewaukee: Planting a new garden and exploring the chicken run.
- Prairie View Elementary, Oregon: Students will also work on a commemorative mural for the garden
- Rooted, Madison: Rooted staff will appear on the Larry Meiller Show to discuss how youth garden education has evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Terri’s Treehouse, Woodruff: Visit with Alice in Dairyland
- Troy Kids’ Garden, Madison: Family garden field trips
- UW-Whitewater Children’s Center: Staff and children will fill the garden beds with plants started in their indoor greenhouse in the preschool classroom and plants started in outdoor milk jug greenhouses. They will also host a plant sale and a seed exchange for families at the center.
- Vincent High School, Milwaukee: Visit with Alice in Dairyland
- Woodland Montessori, Madison: Garden visit with Rep. Francesca Hong
