The Joy of Garden-based Education

Originally aired: April 8th, 2020
Presenter: Cathy Law

Description: Kids are just happier when they are outside learning. Using mother nature as a laboratory setting is an incredible way to engage students in first-hand study of the principles of ecology, geology, and climate change. You will learn the fascinating science behind the social, psychological and physiological benefits of using gardens to teach. Besides, donning a big grin, students learn scientific concepts more effectively when performing hands-on investigations outside so their grades soar. Outdoor based education is a sure way to nurture global citizens for the stewardship of our planet. You can’t go green without going teen!

Cathy Law teaches Biology, Earth Science, and Field Biology at New Paltz High School in New Paltz, New York. She and her students started the Courtyard Gardens twelve years ago; it features over 200 different kinds of plants in 15 themed garden zones. The mission of the garden is to create an outdoor learning center dedicated to understanding and improving the environment and to enable learning that is problem-based and interdisciplinary.