Summary of Data

These totals represent the partial data we have received as of January 2008.

Type of organizations responding:
45% Public school
30% Nonprofit agency
8% Private school
6% Other
4% Community garden
4% Charter school
3% Alternative school


Type of students they worked with:
59% In-school
50% After-school
43% Special Needs
34% Summer Program/Camp
32% Community Gardeners
22% Intergenerational
20% Preschool/Head Start
18% Gifted & Talented
16% Youth Club
12% Home school
10% Church/Youth Group

Total number of children who participated:
 6,232 Ages 2-5 (preschool-K)
13,629 Ages 6-8 (grades 1-3)
10,570 Ages 9-11 (grades 4-6)
3,822 Ages 12-13 (grades 7-8)
3,213 Ages 14-18 (grades 9-12)

Total Students: 37,476

Adult participation: 4,504 adults (18+)


Average hours per week a participating child/youth was involved in gardening activities:
4 hours/week

Average duration of gardening program in 2007:
8 months/year

Program continuation:
96% of respondents plan to continue their program the next year

Type of subjects taught through gardening:
90% teach science
75% teach health and nutrition
66% teach community service
55% teach math
41% teach arts
37% teach cultural studies/issues
35% teach social studies
34% teach intra/interpersonal relationships
31% teach physical education
31% teach interdisciplinary
26% teach English
23% teach history

State and National Education Standards:
60% of respondents connected their gardening program to State and National Education Standards

Importance of linking to these standards for respondents:
12% mandatory
21% very important
24% important
8% somewhat important
19% not important
16% not applicable

Approximate amount of money spent on the gardening program:
9.5% less than 250
21.5% $251 to $500
22% $501 to $1000
13% $1001 to $1500
4% $1501 to $2000
4% $2001 to $2500
26% more than $2501

Average percent of funding received per category (average of all the responses for each source):
41% Grants
19% Donations
11% Parent or volunteer organizations
6% School or school district funds
6% Fundraising
5% Instructor’s pocket

Approximate value of in-kind donations:
12% - less than $250
23% - $251 to $500
20% - $501 to $1000
10% - $1001 to $1500
6% - $1501 to $2000
5% - $2101 to $2500
24% - more than $2501

Average percent of time spent on different instructional techniques (average of all responses for each source):
31% Adult-led investigation/hands-on activities
25% Collaborative project work
24% Student-led investigation/hands-on activities
12% Independent learning
11% Lecture

Program leaders noted participant improvements in these characteristics:
94% environmental attitudes
90% self-confidence
86% community spirit
86% social skills
82% volunteerism
81% leadership skills
77% attitude towards school
74% nutritional attitudes
66% motor skills
59% scholastic achievement

Reported evidence documenting the effectiveness of these gardening programs:
95% positive feedback from participants (adults and children)
83% positive feedback from family members
77% positive community feedback
73% positive feedback from administrators
53% donations and financial support
32% decreased disciplinary actions
29% awards and recognition
28% positive survey results
21% improved attendance rates
9% improved test scores

For more data and comments, please see
2006 Evaluation Summary
2005 Evaluation Summary

Here are a few comments gathered during year-end evaluations:

Children always ask, “Can we go into the garden?” They love to see the seasonal changes and watch birds and insects. They touch rosemary, smell their hands, and smile! They stroke lambs’ ears, smell blooming flowers, and watch pumpkins and gourds grow. Thank you for this award. It is an honor to be recognized by you and we are grateful for your support in making this dream a reality for our school community.
Jeannie Tourscher, Sabold Elementary , PA

Thanks to our Mantis tiller we enjoyed a bigger harvest this year. Children were excited to witness their accomplishment from seeds to actual vegetables. We shared our harvest with the children’s families, thus encouraging healthy eating.
— Linda Kraut, Mercer Child Care Center,
Trenton, NJ

Based on survey results, FirstGarden’s success is clear. More than 90 percent of parents reported that their children eat more fruits and vegetables as a result of participation, with similar numbers reporting that their children were more likely to try new foods and initiate discussions regarding eating habits at home. These results point to our garden’s value as a learning environment. They also demonstrate the need for effective, nontraditional public health-focused collaboration and the importance of parental involvement. Our project’s high visibility and success have impacted a variety of groups, including local schools.
— Melissa Watford, FirstHealth of the Carolinas, NC

This garden was so beneficial to our Green Team. As a team we planted the roses and planned the ceremonies that followed. We watered and cared for the roses together, too. When the first rose flowered, we put that bloom in the office so everyone could enjoy it, and it was announced on the school news station and in our school newsletter. We are so proud to be a recipient of this award! It created a lot of pride in our school and we will continue to tend our ‘Remember Me’ Garden for years to come!
— Teresa Hough, Pauline-Glenn Springs Elementary, Pauline, SC

The garden inspired neighborhood residents to improve their own properties. People stopped without solicitation to help in the garden.
— Connie Atkisson, O.W. Holmes Elementary, Detroit, MI

Gardening has increased self-esteem, motivation, and physical activity in my intellectually disabled students, and given them an awareness of where food comes from. Often as we worked in the garden other teachers brought their classes by to visit. My students (90% of whom are in Speech/ Language) would talk excitedly about the crops and their current projects, offer the visitors herbs to smell, and proudly show off the fruits of their labor.
— Linda Pillows, Triangle Elementary, Mt. Dora, FL

This gardening project increased the children’s appreciation and respect for their community. We developed garden leadership roles for the children, who learned about planting and tending flowers and that weather can impact plant growth. The children received many complements from adults who live in the community, which increased their self-esteem.
— Monte Simonton, Middle Way House–The Rise, Bloomington, IN

The garden is a beautiful expression of hard work, persistence and creativity. Our students have poured their hearts and sweat into this land and they are reaping the fruits of their labor. We use the Seed to Soup Garden to educate students from pre-K to eighth grade. Everyone enjoys being a part of this project, which is at the heart of our school. Our school motto is “Nature is Our Best Teacher.” The Seed to Soup Garden is Teacher of the Year.
— Summer Solomon, Learning Gate Community School, FL

Students are ALWAYS willing to try a new vegetable if given the chance to try it in the garden!
— Laura Cooke, Primrose Hill School, RI

All our students have diagnosed mental health issues coupled with behavioral or attendance problems. This gardening project gave them a venue through which to “let off steam” and reap the fruits of their labors. The students worked in the garden every day and took great personal responsibility for watering, weeding, nurturing, and caring for the plants and vegetables. They referred to it as “our garden” and were very proud when they harvested an abundant crop after months of work.
— Sister Grace Surdovel, Lourdesmont School, PA

The garden program has increased students’ sense of stewardship and respect and provided a positive experience for adult volunteers and students who worked together. Everyone was proud of the improved appearance of our campus! The program also introduced students to a variety of vegetables they hadn’t tried before, thus reinforcing our nutrition program.
— Jeanne Nixon, Horace Mann Elementary, CA

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These grants are awarded based on merit. Winners were chosen through evaluation of written applications; winning applicants indicated well-planned, comprehensive, community-supported, and sustainable youth garden programs. Because the pool of applicants and types of programs vary each year, the statistics noted here are dynamic.