Leave It Better is an organization that helps schools grow food and helps kids to teach others about gardening through video storytelling. They are partnered with many NYC groups and programs, such as Grow to Learn, New York Botanical Garden, Bronx Green Up, NYC Compost Project, and Bronxworks. In addition, Leave it Better provides HD cameras for students to document their learning and work.

Check out our students from from P94M, featured in our gardeners on the Leave It Better website.

Plant-Learn-Grow went to the Union Square Greenmarket! Four classes from 17x brought their students to take an educational field trip to learn about where our food comes from and why it is important to buy local food. Besides learning where our food come from, the students got to try butternut squash with rosemary and learned that there are such things as PURPLE CARROTS!

At the end of the trip, each class was given some “Greenmarket Bucks” to spend on yummy food to bring back up to the Bronx.

We are having our First Annual Harvest Photo Contest! The Autumn Harvest is a beautiful time to go outside, feel the crisp air, and look at the vibrant colors all around. Photo entries should feature your PLG students and represent the autumn harvest. These pictures can be taken at your own school garden, a local community garden, or a class field trip to a Greenmarket or grocery store. The winning pictures will be made into a poster sized print for your classroom and featured on the Plant-Learn-Grow Website. Photos must be submitted by Tuesday December 3rd.

Rules:

• Each participating teacher can submit one photo relating to the Autumn Harvest
• Photos must include students from your PLG program (be sure waivers are signed before sharing the photo)
• Photos must be taken between the dates of October, 1 2013 and Nov. 27, 2013
• Photos must be submitted to PlantLearnGrowD75@gmail.com by Tuesday December 3, 2013
• Winners of the Photo Content will be posted on Monday December 9, 2013

*Extra note: please be sure to use fine or high resolution when taking the photos. This is to ensure the highest quality when the photos get blown-up to poster size.

Hello PLG Community,

Grow to Learn, which is the organization giving away up to $2,000 in grants for NYC Schools, presented a overview on how to write a proper Grow to Learn Grant Application. I attended the workshop in Manhattan and am providing a PDF of the slides below:

GrantWritingWorkshop

The workshop was informative and stressed that, even if you do not get a grant, if your school is registered with Grow to Learn, you will be eligible for free soil, lumber, cheap plants, and various other supplies.

Hello everyone!

Last night I was at a workshop on “Rainwater Collection and Green Infrastructure” at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The workshop was very informative and taught me a lot interesting, practical, and new things to help “green” NYC.

The workshop was put on by Grow NYC and the BBG. Both of these organizations have many different free workshops after school and in the evening to help people in education and in other fields learn more about sustainable living. Below is a list of various workshops and events compiled from various areas.

March

Grow to Learn Grant Writing & Garden Planning Workshop

Wednesday, March 6^th 4:30pm-7:00pm

Need help applying for a Grow to Learn Mini-Grant? Attend a grant-writing and garden design workshop! We will walk you through the application and garden design process and help answer any individual questions you may have. RSVP required.

Cost: Free

RSVP HERE

Teacher Open House: Snug Harbor Cultural Center

Friday, March 8^th, 3:00pm-5:00pm

Looking for new and interesting ways to introduce your students to environmental sustainability? Attend the NYC Compost Project on Staten Island Teacher Open House! You will learn about composting activities that can be incorporated into a variety of curricula.

Host Organization: Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden

Location: 914 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY

Cost: Free

Contact: compost@snug-harbor.org or 718.425.3558