January 2019 Newsletter

Basketball Legend Shaquille O’Neal Sponsors Green Our Planet School Garden

Basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal was not only one of the largest basketball players to ever play the game (7’1” and 325 pounds), but he also has a MBA and a Doctorate in Education. Due to his belief that every student should have access to good education, Shaq began sponsoring the Green Our Planet School Garden Program at Ann Lynch Elementary School in 2018.  Shaq, no doubt, also believes in the adage that, “If you grow up eating your veggies—one day you too will be a superstar!”

Green Our Planet Expands to Northern Nevada

Green Our Planet is excited to announce that we are expanding our hydroponics program to Northern Nevada. Innovations High School and St. Albert’s Catholic Elementary School in Reno and Riverview Elementary School in Dayton have signed up to participate in the program. Each grade level will complete an engineering lesson to build a particular kind of hydroponics system, along with other STEM lessons. Green Our Planet will teach three workshops and a full-day training to show teachers how to build the six different hydroponic systems that are integrated into the program. Nevada State Bank is the major sponsor of the hydroponics program.

Green Our Planet Launches K-5 Hydroponics STEM Curriculum in Nevada

Over the past year, seven CCSD teachers worked diligently alongside Sue Cormier, Green Our Planet’s Manager of Teacher Training and Curriculum Development, and Hydroponics Manager Taylor Quiram to develop a Hydroponics STEM curriculum for K–5. From September through December 2018, five schools tested the lessons and gave feedback to the curriculum team. Today, we are delighted to announce that the Green Our Planet STEM Hydroponics Curriculum for K-5 is available for teachers across Nevada and beyond. This is the first STEM Hydroponics Curriculum specifically for elementary school students in the United States and Green Our Planet is thrilled to be pioneering the lessons with hundreds of CCSD schools.

STEAM 101 Recap

Green Our Planet held its first, 15-hour, STEAM 101 Teacher Training of the new year on Saturday, January 12. Nearly 40 teachers were introduced to gardening basics and to Green Our Planet’s preK-5th grade Garden STEAM Curriculum. The teachers had the opportunity to practice these new skills at the training. During a two-week period afterwards, they solidified their knowledge by choosing a project to teach to to their outdoor classrooms and communities.

I learned some great, easy ways to use the garden as a resource for cross-curricular learning.

It was very educational on many levels...plant science to health, nutrition, and overall wellness.

I will use just about everything that was presented today. I love that the lessons can be adapted for many grade levels.

[The training] helped me understand how important a school garden is to my students. [It will] help them develop a sense of accomplishment and self-worth.

Green Our Planet trains CCSD teachers to teach the 800 page, Pre-K-5 Garden STEAM curriculum through 15-hour training sessions that take place six times each year. These trainings are approved by the Nevada Board of Education, and teachers earn 1 PDE credit or 5 CUs for participating. During the 7.5 hour face-to-face session, teachers learn basic gardening tips, get to explore and practice the lessons created by Green Our Planet, which follow Next Generation Science Standards, to be used in their outdoor learning gardens, learn from experts on a variety of topics like composting, pollinator gardens and more. At the trainings, teachers complete a project to benefit their outdoor classroom space and community. Check out this video to see a typical teacher training session.

A Community Garden For the Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health Center

On Saturday, January 12th, Green Our Planet and about 30 community volunteers put the finishing touches on a new community garden at the Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health Center. A project spearheaded by the new Chairwoman of the Clark County Commissioners, Marilyn Kirkpatrick, the garden was designed by Green Our Planet landscape designer Taylor Quiram and completed by the Green Our Planet build team. Currently the garden is being used as a green space for counseling and for teaching horticultural skills to foster children.

Save the Date

• Saturday, February 9 (8 am–4:30 pm): Hydroponics Teacher Training (SOLD OUT) (1 PDE/5 CUs)
• Saturday, March 16 (9 am–12 pm): Gardening 101, Composting and Worm Class (1 CU)
• Saturday, March 30 (8 am–4:30 pm): STEAM 102 Teacher Training (1 PDE/5 CUs)
• Saturday, April 27 (8 am–5 pm): Green Our Planet’s Fifth Annual School Garden Conference (2 CUs)