The School Garden Initiative (SGI) compliments the scope of year-round curriculum components and student learning by using environmental science as the overarching theme coupled with content-wise topics that span numerous curricular areas. SGI blends content areas to create activities that use environmental science as the primary learning context. Wonderland promotes science literacy and lifelong learning in students and by extension their families, friends, neighbors, and communities.

We do this by focusing on:

Have Class In The Garden and Cultivate a Lifetime of Learning

The School Garden Initiative curriculum connects classroom topic areas to real life science application in the dynamically changing outdoor garden lab. The project formats can be offered through our program guide or customized according to specific needs.  The sky is truly the limit:

• Life, Chemistry and pond science projects
• School garden installation and habitat restoration projects
• Recycling Projects
• Environmental field work experience

During visits to Wonderland Gardens, youth can witness the nature’s seasons and the corresponding evolution of cultivated plant-life, earth and insects. As a compliment to these field trips, Wonderland utilizes an assortment of media – particularly pictures and video paired with corresponding lesson plans – all via the web. And upon request, Wonderland can perform site visits or customize lesson plans to fit the requirements and interests of individual classes. Given that Wonderland offers SGI year-round, concepts such as nature’s life-cycles, the impact of weather, decomposition and native habitats can be directly observed. During the winter months or inclement weather, Wonderland will operate through the Environmental Education Center inside the neighboring DeKalb County Porter Sanford Performing Arts Center.

The Benefits

The SGI benefits are numerous and far-reaching to both students and educators.

Student Benefits:

• Improved environmental awareness
• Increased  self-efficacy about their environment
• Stronger interest in environmental science
• An awareness about careers in earth science
• Improved critical thinking skills
• Experience with collaborative learning and teamwork
• The opportunity to learn about science through specialize field trips

Educator Benefits:

• Improved student motivation and enthusiasm for learning
• Pedagogical strategies to cover new and existing curricula in applicable situations
• Opportunity to promote positive environmental messages and enhance understanding of regional and global environmental issues
• Opportunity for widespread community outreach and collaborations
• Sound program structure with flexibility to adapt to specific classroom curriculum
• Strong potential for parent support and participation