Loveland Learning Garden is an amazing resource in our community. As a teacher that takes over 50 third graders to the gardens, I am super excited to be a part of this nonprofit. The dedicated staff supplement our curriculum with real life experiences that you can not get inside a classroom. The students love gardening days in the fall and the spring. Donating the vegetables to the Loveland Food Pantry also shows the compassion and respect the organization has to better the community and is a great example for our young minds to witness and be a part of! Loveland Elementary School is proud to be a part of the Loveland Learning Garden. -Becky Steele, 3rd Grade Teacher, LES
The Loveland Learning Garden has been a wonderful experience for my students in first grade. The lessons are aligned with our first grade curriculum and they offer a hands-on approach for learning. The lessons are fun, engaging and age appropriate. My students have learned about composting, insects, butterflies, life cycles, gardening, and so much more! They are able to harvest fruits and vegetables and actually taste some of the items grown in our garden. The best part is sharing the harvest with the Loveland Food Bank! We are so lucky to have this truly unique learning environment here at LPS!
Karen Griffin
The Loveland Learning Garden does an amazing job meeting our science standards with real life application. As a classroom teacher, I am able to sign my classes up to go and experience the garden with an expert educator who leads it. They love getting outside and learning. Extra food is donated to a local food pantry which provides underprivileged families with fresh produce. It's a win win for all!
We had a wonderful experience at the Loveland Learning Garden. My daughter was so excited to see so many different fruits and veggies growing! She was even more excited that we were able to harvest green beans, tomatoes, okra and some berries for the LIFE Food Pantry across the street from the garden.
The Loveland Learning Garden is nestled between two schools which makes it a great educational tool for teachers and students. Can’t wait to go back!
My daughter LOVED her time at Loveland Learning Garden's summer camp experience. I only have wonderful things to say about her time there... and for such an affordable cost. 10/10 recommend!
I worked as an environmental educator at Loveland Learning Garden and was so impressed with their programs and ability to seamlessly apply school science curriculum to so many great outdoor experiences. With a degree in environmental science and a background in education, I know firsthand the impacts of getting students experientially invested in their environments early. By exposing students to the outdoors and teaching about the wilderness around them, Loveland Learning Garden teaches students to invest in nature and be responsible stewards to their local ecosystems for years to come!
The Loveland Learning Garden is a gem within our community. I have had the opportunity to volunteer with my children and help harvest and care for the garden and to know that it is giving back to families right here in our community is huge. I LOVE what the garden brings to the school curriculum and provides for our young learners. I have also brought my Cub Scouts to the garden and have received great programming for our young scouts. I cannot speak highly enough of the volunteers and the way the garden is managed. Their heart and vision is big and they are making a huge impact on our children, families and community at large.
I am a retired teacher with Loveland City School District. Upon retiring I wanted to volunteer with a program that supported children’s learning of nature in my Loveland Community. and “get my hands dirty”. The Loveland Learning Garden (The LLG) provides that opportunity for me to give back. Along with many others, I tend to the garden (weeding and watering) the beds. Because of The LLG location (behind 2 of the district schools’ buildings) during the school year, students come outside to learn and engage with the garden. I have lead several sessions with the wonderful lesson plans provided, but also encouraged to “make it my own”.
New this year for me is “Harvest Thursday”; myself, along with others, harvest the garden’s produce, weigh it and take it to the food pantry. Last week we harvested over 40 pounds of produce!
In my volunteer experience withThe LLG, I have worked with a great team of like minded people!
I started volunteering at Loveland Learning Garden in April, and each visit has been a new adventure! Watching the earth grow and change with the seasons is incredibly exciting. Despite its small size, the combination of the trail and the garden creates a mighty space that offers children a unique opportunity to slow down, explore, and appreciate the wonders around them.
Every week brings new discoveries, from measuring themselves against the growing sunflower patch to sitting quietly in a designated spot, listening to the birds. The garden provides a rich environment for creating beautiful art and engaging in various forms of creative expression. We've journaled about a turtle we spotted, discovered how onions grow, and so much more.
The Learning Garden is not just a place for plants to grow, but for children to grow too. They love spending time there and always wish they could stay longer. It truly is a special place for young minds to explore, learn, and connect with nature.
My first touchpoint with Loveland Learning Garden was as a parent. My child's teachers were regularly participating with the programming that took him out into the garden & on to the nature trail. Not only did we find this so valuable from an educational standpoint but the mental, emotional, and physical wellness that comes from education happening in different environments and settings as well as being outdoors. Over time I connected further to the organization to better understand their offerings and mission and then began supporting their work in a board member capacity. Since then, anytime I encounter a program participant, their family, or a volunteer with Loveland Learning Garden I am met with a personal story about how this organization has positively impacted them in so many ways. It's so evident that Loveland Learning Garden is leaving a purposeful imprint on our community at every touch point.
Loveland learning garden has giving me countless opportunities. I volunteered with them once in the spring and over the course of a few months have built relationships that have led me to hold more of a role in the program. I would highly recommend this program to anyone interested in nature and giving back to our local kids!!
I am an educator at Loveland Learning Garden. I am so impressed with all of the programs at the garden and the nature trail! The children are incredibly enthusiastic each time they come outdoors for one of our lessons, which offer hands on learning and directly support school curriculum. The multifaceted offerings not only teach kids about growing plants from seed to harvest, but they introduce them to vegetables they may never have seen or tasted, when we taste our gardens bounty. They are excited to find pollinators in the garden, when we are out there, and know all about their life cycles and their jobs in the garden. They learn “hands on” math when they harvest and weigh the produce. They are taught to care for others when they actually take the produce to the food bank, and donate it for others who are less fortunate.
The kids in Loveland greatly benefit from this unique learning opportunity, and are so fortunate to have so many adults dedicated to developing and continuously making it better.
The educational opportunities at Loveland Learning Garden and Nature Trail are crucial to the healthy development of our children. Spending time in nature, in the vegetable garden, on the trail or around the pollinator garden fosters creativity, healthy curiosity, exploration and learning through fun, impactful activities and lessons. Children love being outside in nature, which is evident in their smiles and laughter as they explore the Loveland Learning Garden and Nature Trail. Many children suffer from "Nature Deficit Disorder" as explained by the expert Richard Louv in his book, "Last Child in the Woods." The symptoms of Nature Deficit Disorder in children can include anxiety, depression, ADHD-like symptoms and obesity. The outdoor activities and lessons provided by the Loveland Learning Garden and Nature Trail combat these symptoms and allow our children to reduce their stress, have fun, learn about their natural world, develop a love for nature and become re-connected to the Earth. Our students are developing new habits for creating a healthy life, through growing their own fresh produce, breathing fresh air and oxygen, coming in contact with healthy soil, trees and ecosystems, using clean water to nurture their garden and developing a sense of belonging to our natural world.
I am very proud to be a part of the Loveland Learning Garden and Nature Trail team. I believe we are helping our students become healthier and more knowledgeable about the incredible benefits of our natural world! :-)
The Loveland Learning Garden is such a treasure to have on-site for the primary and elementary students (like my own!). Hands-on learning opportunities are endless and span all subject areas. Amazing programs led by amazing volunteers! Everyone should check out what the garden has to offer (and don't forget the nature trail too!).
Loveland Learning Garden is a great asset to both the Loveland schools and community! It is such an unique opportunity for students at the Loveland Primary and Elementary Schools to be able to go out in the garden during the school day to learn about everything from composting, to the plant life-cycle to fossils. They try to match lessons in the garden with lessons being taught in the classroom. My son has also attended an after-school program in the garden where he came home every day with some type of treasure: seeds to plant, herbs to grow, vegetables to eat. He was sad when it ended and looks forward to new adventures next year. Thank you Loveland Learning Garden!
I am the Cubmaster for Cub Scout Pack 635 here in Loveland. We had an opportunity to bring a group from our Pack to the Loveland Learning Garden for a fun and interactive evening with Laurie. The Cubs learned all about composting, different varieties of herbs and vegetables, and even had an opportunity to get their hands dirty and help plant tomatoes. The Loveland Learning Garden is a wonderful asset to our community and a great place for kids and adults to enjoy nature and learn more about food, gardening, and caring for our environment!
The Loveland Learning Garden is such a valuable resource for me and my fellow teachers at Loveland Elementary School. For example, instead of reading about fossils we got to go outside into the garden to learn about fossils from an expert in the field. The students were so engaged in the conversation and loved being able to hold and investigate real fossils found right here in Ohio with their own magnifying glass. The best part was that they even got to keep their fossil. They couldn't believe it! I can't wait to see what other programs are available next school year.
I am lucky enough to teach second grade at Loveland Primary School with a beautiful view of the Loveland Learning Garden! My second graders LOVE the garden and our nature trail!! Hands on, inquiry learning at its very BEST!! Recently we have participated in Composting in the Garden, Story Time on the Trail (during Right to Read Week), and also Digging for Worms. The volunteers are amazing, engaging, and well-prepared! My students cannot wait for Spring Harvest next week and for the MANY YEARS of learning in the gardens that lie ahead of them!! Thank You, Loveland Learning Gardens!!! We are so grateful for you!
The Loveland learning garden has been such a wonderful experience me and my kids. Whenever I volunteer, my kids get to come with me and learn all the things about gardening I never knew growing up! They get to water the beds, plant seeds, turn compost, but mostly admire ladybugs, hold earthworms and smell the flowers. Then we take what we harvest together to the local food pantry to help those in need in our community. That kind of full circle life education and community outreach is unique and greatly needed in today’s world. I’m excited for my kids to start school next year and get to attend more of the classes in the garden and on the hiking trail with the enthusiastic and knowledgeable teachers that this organization provides. Every school needs to be connected to a program like this!
I am an educator at Loveland Primary School and have had the opportunity to work with the Loveland Learning Garden to experience Story Time on the Trail and also dig for worms. The volunteers are knowledgeable, prepared, and willing to accommodate all learning needs. I am excited to see the varied opportunities in the coming years!
Volunteering with Loveland Learning Garden (LLG) the last few months has been amazing! Since I live in a condo, LLG has been the perfect way for me to experience taking care of a garden: from planting seeds to watering & weeding to harvesting. When we have food to harvest like peas, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, then we donate it to LIFE food pantry (located across the street from LLG in Loveland, OH). LLG exists primarily to be a hands-on learning center for children to connect with nature, though adult volunteers like me have the opportunity to learn and connect with nature too. I knew a little bit about gardening when I started volunteering, but was not an expert. I learn more each time I’m at the garden. You don’t have to be a Master Gardener to volunteer at LLG; just have an interest in volunteering a few hours per week, per month, or one time during our Service Days. The volunteer coordinators and other volunteers are so kind. It feels good to be in nature, get exercise, grow food & flowers, meet nice people, and give back to my community.
I started helping Granny's Garden near the end of the summer and really enjoyed it! The members of the School are kind and fun to work with, and it's awesome to be able to learn a bit about gardening while also providing an interactive education for the LPS and LES kids. Granny's Garden deserves all the recognition for all the amazing work they do!
Granny's Garden is a lovely organization that services our local community. A great group of volunteers, too! Thanks for everything you do, granny's Garden!!
My two sons got to experience GGS and really enjoyed it. I was so intrigued by the program that I began volunteering and ended up joining the board. I love that the program gets kids outside, digging in the dirt, and connected to nature. For some kids, it's the first introduction to where food comes from and how it's grown. It gives many children (my picky sons included) the opportunity and courage to try new vegetables for the first time as they are picked straight from the garden. The fact that the GGS lessons supplement the classroom curriculum is an added bonus. And since GGS donates much of the food harvested from the garden to LIFE Food Pantry, it's a true treasure to the entire community.
I became involved with Granny's Garden School as a Garden Educator in 2019. This program offers so much for the students of Loveland Schools and the general Loveland community as a whole. It allows children to have hands-on learning experiences in the garden utilizing and developing skills in science, math, social studies and ELA, and the gardens provide fresh produce for a local food bank! Granny's Garden School is a real asset to the schools and community!
Granny's Garden School has been valued in this community and a great asset to everyone. They provided a variety of classes for teachers to bring students as a hands-on/interactive learning. Volunteers came together, while following pandemic protocols, to ensure foods can still be grown and donated to the food pantry. From kids to grown-ups, the garden has brought positive outcomes for many!
For the last year I have had the opportunity to volunteer teach at Granny's Garden School in their garden eduation programs. This program provides a wonderful opportunity for students grades 1-4 to experience academic lessons in the garden setting. The students also have the chance to explore the garden and to see how things grow. During the summer & fall seasons Granny's Garden School grows produce to donate to a local food pantry providing access to fresh vegetables. Additioanlly they are are providing garden habitat for pollinators to live, grow, and thrive. The Loveland community is very blessed to have this program for our students and the community as a whole.
As a teacher with Granny’s Gardens I saw first-hand how important being in nature is to Loveland students and teachers. Granny’s Gardens inspires kids, teaches the connection between the environment and where our food comes from, and promotes social responsibility in our every day actions. Every child, and adult, deserve opportunities to connect with nature in this way. The time in the garden reinforce learning standards and teaches real life skills.
Great commuity non profit! We need many more of these places around the US. Our kids SHOULD have access to being in touch with nature and having a way to be hands on. Being a part of growing and preparing plant based food is key to good health, good for the environment and a way to support your love for animals. Go vegan and go Granny's Garden :)
Granny's Garden is doing great work in the Loveland community supplying food to local food pantries and educating kids in gardening. Keep up the good work!
I have been volunteering for Granny's Garden School for the past 6 years. I have been very involved in the annual plant sale. It is amazing to me that the backbone of the program in terms of support come from volunteers, donations and fund raising events like the annual plant sale. The program derives zero funding from the school system or taxpayer dollars. Over the past decade+, the program has touched over 17,000 students.
I started volunteering to work with the Granny's Garden team several years ago and they haven't been able to get rid of me since! My family does not live in the district and get to enjoy the free benefits but we appreciate and enjoy the activities where we can participate and learn - summer harvesting, events, etc. This is truly a wonderful program with many many great volunteers and staff that are very dedicated to hands on learning in the gardens.
My three daughters thoroughly enjoyed the grannies garden school program. They learned a wealth of knowledge about gardening, where our food comes from, hard work, and even an introduction to cooking the food they grow!
Our family relocated into the Loveland, OH from out of state in 2012. We learned of Granny's Garden from our children, as they would come home raving over their garden activities and what they had learned in their outside class gardens at school! The opportunity that was given to us and our children through Granny's is priceless! What could be more important than learning how to grow your own food through hand's on experience?
Great program! Had never even heard of a garden program on school grounds before moving to Loveland. Intrigued, I began to volunteer and learn more about the program. The kids are very involved and learn hands-on lessons on the nature trail and in the gardens. They plant flowers and vegetables throughout the school year and then harvest is truly a celebration, for they know what was involved in the process.
After three years as a Master Gardener volunteer at Ganny's, I am continually amazed at the different types of learning that both children and adults take part. Outside activities that demonstrate the importance of earthworms, seeds, planting and harvesting are just a few of the lessons that take place in a garden filled with breathtaking flowers. What a wonderful place to learn, volunteer, and teach. Thanks Roberta, Granny, for blessing Us with your passion!
I have worked with Granny's Garden School since it's inception. It has grown from a wish for children to be able to pick a flower to a curriculum based learning program where students develop an appreciation for the world around them. Yes, they are able to pick a flower - and eat vegetables they have grown, walk the nature trail, watch monarch butterflies and praying mantis' go through their life cycle in our gardens, learn about composting/recycling. While the classes are in the gardens, they are getting a "hands on" education; all lessons are meshed with Ohio Standards. As an added bonus to the community, our school grounds are beautiful! I believe this program gives a benefit to our children that few schools can claim.
I just started helping out at Granny's Garden School and am thrilled to see kids being shown once again where their food comes from. The program is sophisticated and thoughtful, and ties in so well to schools, teachers, and students. It's wonderful to see kids spending more time outside working, digging, growing, and harvesting!
Granny's Garden School isn't just about the great opportunity students have to learn math and earth science outdoors and in an engaging way, but it's also about the exposure they get to where our food comes from and healthy eating. My kids have come home asking me to get beets and radishes, and the program has inspired us to start our own family garden. Weekly garden time has always been a special and fun part of the school day that they have always looked forward to - which is the way learning should be!
Granny’s Garden School is an amazing educational resource! The outdoor curriculum covers math, science and social studies in a way that truly engages all types of learners through visual and hands-on activities. The children are eager to participate and their eyes light up with the Garden Educators join their class for their lesson. Digging in the dirt, analyzing results of experiments, observing the natural world on the nature trail, eating vegetables they’ve grown themselves are just a few of ways Granny’s Garden School literally brings learning to life for our children!
I have been involved as a volunteer with Granny’s Garden School since 2004. I’ve done every job imaginable with the program, from baking vegetable based baked goods for our bake sales, planning and working at our events, promoting our events, working in the gardens and recruiting volunteers.
One of the most satisfying roles I have had is recruiting volunteers. Many of our local school systems require community service, and I have worked with high school kids from all over the city. I always come away feeling a little more positive about the future of the world after spending time with these students.
The gardens also provide a place for all ages and types of people who want to help their community, but might not fit in as well with other volunteer opportunities.
One afternoon we had a group of deaf students from St. Rita School for the Deaf, working alongside students from Sinclair College who were learning American Sign Language.
We also have a group of mentally disabled adults who come and volunteer on a regular basis. These are folks who want to contribute, and they always leave with a feeling of accomplishment.
I’ve worked with moms who bring their young children, to elderly folks who no longer have a yard to care for, but still want to be active in gardening.
Granny’s Garden School is not just for Loveland students; the program provides a way for anyone to get involved and be a part of this wonderful organization.