School Garden Gateway — Sign up for Field Trips & Training in the Washington Youth Garden 🌱🍓

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SPECIAL EDITION

SPROUT Field Trips

Registration Opens Today

Spring into School Gardening

March 22nd

Summer Institute for Garden-based Teaching

July 15th-18th

Application Open Now

SPROUT FIELD TRIPS

Spring is right around the corner and what better way to kick off the season than with a field trip to the Washington Youth Garden?

Registration is now open for 2025 SPROUT Field trips on the grounds of the US National Arboretum!

Join us for a 90-minute field trip tailored to your curriculum with plenty of time for exploration of the whole garden. Your students will have the opportunity to learn about topics such as bees & pollination, the life cycle of a plant, nutrition, and decomposition. We hope to see you in the garden soon, ready to explore with all five senses. ☝️👀👃👂️👅

Suggested grade levels: PreK-5th, but some flexibility for older groups.

Group size: 10-42 students

Field trips are available Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at 10:00am, and Fridays at 10 AM or 1 PM. Spring field trip season runs from April 8th to June 13th.

Questions? See our website, or email education@fona.org.

SPRING INTO SCHOOL GARDENING

Join us on Saturday, March 22nd at 11 AM for our 4th annual Spring into School Gardening event where you can learn how to plant a spring edible garden and get free supplies to start growing outside with your students.

Educator Coaching Program school teams, please arrive at 10 AM for cohort support and community building.

SUMMER INSTITUTE FOR

GARDEN-BASED TEACHING

Applications are now open for our 8th annual Summer Institute for Garden-based Teaching!

When: July 15th-18th from 9 AM to 4 PM

Where: Indoor and outdoor sessions on the grounds of the US National Arboretum, including the Washington Youth Garden, as well as touring a variety of D.C. school gardens.

What: In this 4-day training, you will learn from fellow garden educators about outdoor group management techniques, standards-aligned activities, how to sustain your garden program, and more!

Eligible participants:

Are from District of Columbia schools that have an existing school garden program;
Apply with at least one other school team member;*
Commit to attend all of the sessions.

All participants receive a stipend. Stipend amounts contingent upon finalized funding.

Questions? Email Ashley at arattanawan@fona.org

Apply to the Summer Institute

NEW TO FRIENDS OF THE NATIONAL ARBORETUM?

Our School Garden Gateway newsletter comes out once a quarter, with occasional special editions for program opportunities. If you want more regular information on Arboretum happenings and events, consider signing up for our award-winning weekly newsletter, FONA Field Notes.

FONA Field Notes Sign Up

Come see us next time you're at the National Arboretum!

The Arboretum is open every day from 8 AM - 5 PM except December 25th.

Check Our Website for Full Details >

Washington Youth Garden is the one-acre education garden of Friends of the National Arboretum. By supporting FONA, you support staff connecting thousands of students each year to food, the land, and each other.

BECOME A FONA MEMBER BY DONATING ANY AMOUNT

FONA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization with the mission to preserve and enhance a vibrant public space and support experiential programming that instills a love of plants, nature and the outdoors in all who visit, while promoting the overarching research and education mission of the U.S. National Arboretum.

Since its inception, FONA has helped support the Washington Youth Garden, Capitol Columns, Flowering Tree Walk, horticultural and research internships, restoration of Springhouse Run, and much more.

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