Master Gardeners have volunteered at Armstrong Elementary since 2013, teaching over 500 students from kindergarten to 4th grade. The children help plant and maintain flower beds on the campus. They also grow a variety of vegetables and herbs, which they taste in the garden, share with the school cafeteria or donate to a food pantry.
Children help grow nectar and host plants in the pollinator garden, which is a certified Monarch Waystation. Lessons come from the Junior Master Gardener curriculum, and teachers encourage literacy by suggesting books recommended by the librarian that complement featured topics.
Several school groups help support the gardening program. A student club called PAWS, run by 4th graders, parents, and former parents, donates the annual floral color. Eagle Scouts, Young Men’s Service League, and high school students help with projects that are too difficult for the younger children or need extra time. The PTA and teaching staff invest in the garden’s needs as well.
Classes are held every Tuesday during the school year, excluding December and January. The Master Gardeners teach a 5 to 10 minute lesson, and then the children break into three groups. Led by parent volunteers and helped by Master Gardeners, students complete a practical application of the lesson for the remaining 20 minutes.
Goals for 2022 include expanding the birding area in the garden by developing a better habitat for birds at the school, creating a curriculum for the birding section, and upgrading the camera so birds can be photographed when no one is present.
