Texas A&M AgriLife hosts school garden conference
The Cultivating School Gardens Conference will be presented by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service for youth garden educators, volunteers and supporters on July 20.
With an increase in school gardens comes a need for more training to make that garden successful from the start. Gardens teach youth where their food comes from and how to grow it on their own. Gardening promotes teamwork, patience, self-confidence and the art of observation. Gardens are outdoor classrooms that can be utilized for every subject.
“We are very excited about this school gardens conference, which brings together the basics of gardening, including where and what to plant, with the nuts and bolts of support, funding, curriculum and other resources,” said Ginger Easton Smith, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent for Aransas County.
The keynote speaker, Charlie Hall, Ph.D., professor and Ellison Chair in the Texas A&M Department of Horticultural
Sciences, Bryan-College Station, will present “Benefits of Plants for Youth Education and Well-Being.” He will address research that continues to document the specific benefits a connection with plants and nature provides for youth learning and testing success, emotional and mental health, and social life skills.
Other speakers include Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program specialists, county extension agents, Texas Master Gardeners and garden coordinators.
The conference offers seven hours of continuing professional education credits recognized by the Texas Education Agency and is a multicounty Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service effort. Techniques and resources are applicable statewide.