Author: Ann Hennessey

Cooking with Students

Cooking with Students

Years ago, long before the No Child Left Behind Act was even a gleam in a politician’s eye, a fifth-grade teacher told me she reached her summer school students’ hearts through their stomachs. Those were her words, spoken as her 10-year-olds worked together to whip up their concoctions. That teacher eventually retired as an elementary […]

Read More

Year of No

Year of No

Sometime this past winter I started referring to the 2015-16 school year as the Year of No. Nothing went easily. Sure things seemed to fall through without explanation. Support I’d assumed would be there didn’t materialize. Many of my students seemed to struggle more than usual. My after-school program planned to install three academic gardens. […]

Read More

Learning About Agriculture

Learning About Agriculture

A couple years ago, the California Department of Food and Agriculture approached me about filming our Garden Club students in action for a piece the agency was doing on agricultural literacy. They wanted to know how schools were teaching students about agriculture through the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom. Check out my students […]

Read More

National Environmental Education Week: April 17-23

National Environmental Education Week: April 17-23

Looking for a reason to celebrate? This week is National Environmental Education Week, a great reason to take the learning outside. To register your organization’s projects and events, go to NEEFusa.org. Registration gets you discounts on online resources and eligibility for grants. The National Environmental Education Foundation, a Washington D.C.-based non-profit organization working with the […]

Read More

Training at Soil Born Farms

Training at Soil Born Farms

Looking for a way to change your school’s blacktop out and plant some native California vegetation instead? Want a fun summer training that could qualify you for grant money next school year? I received an e-mail from Karleen Vollherbst, coordinator of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Schoolyard Habitat Program earlier this week. The curriculum […]

Read More

School Gardening Grants

School Gardening Grants

This is not a comprehensive list of all the school gardening grants and opportunities available, but this will get you started. Keep in touch with your school district grant writer. American Association of Dermatologists, $8,000 for school shade California Fertilizer Foundation, $1,200 California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom Literacy for Life, $500-$1,500,  This website regularly lists leads […]

Read More
Skip to content