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How do you handle 'correcting' children who continually don't follow the protocols - not because they're being contrary, but perhaps they have special challenges - ? Question from N. Lewis

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Where can you find affordable child-size masks for youth to wear while participating in programming? - Question from N. Lewis

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Where can you find affordable child-size masks for youth to wear while participating in programming? - Question from N. Lewis

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Our partner organization got a porta potty (maybe even donated) for the length of the summer, and it was sanitized daily by the company. It came w/ a hand washing station.

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Our partner organization got a porta potty (maybe even donated) for the length of the summer, and it was sanitized daily by the company. It came w/ a hand washing station.

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4 students to 1 leader for small group

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Do folks wash hands with soap and water prior to using hand sanitizer? - Question from Beth Thiel

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Do folks wash hands with soap and water prior to using hand sanitizer? - Question from Beth Thiel

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This summer we worked w/ 10 kids w/ 2 adults, moving forward we expect to work with smaller pod #'s that the schools determine.

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This summer we worked w/ 10 kids w/ 2 adults, moving forward we expect to work with smaller pod #'s that the schools determine.

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for snow, we stay inside OR go outside only if students have appropriate gear.  We haven't had this problem yet, but winter is certainly coming!

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for snow, we stay inside OR go outside only if students have appropriate gear.  We haven't had this problem yet, but winter is certainly coming!

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Do presenters have their curriculum available for other educators/organizations to use? - Question from Alex Narrajos

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Want to hear about keeping schools open with one positive Covid case in a stable group/ pod.  would like to know definition of “stable pod” From Amanda Rieux, Waimea, HI

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Idea from food safety that you can't sanitize a dirty surface: ie putting hand sanitizer on dirty/grimy hands doesn't really work. How do we get kids to understand when hand sanitizer is actually effective and avoid performative actions that aren't making them safer?

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Idea from food safety that you can't sanitize a dirty surface: ie putting hand sanitizer on dirty/grimy hands doesn't really work. How do we get kids to understand when hand sanitizer is actually effective and avoid performative actions that aren't making them safer?

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At MEarth, we hosted one stable group of up to 10 students at a time with two educators present together. Additional staff flexed in, as needed.

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Find webinars on this topic at www.sgsonetwork.org/webinars our Fall. Also see a list of Covid Protocol shared by SGSOs at www.sgsonetwork.org/covid

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Since 2017, we have hosted webinars created by SGSOs for SGSOs.

Join us for an upcoming offering or browse our archives. Visit our Online Forum and Best Practices Documents for additional content related to webinar topics.

Virtual Gatherings are peer to peer networking events on specific topics with many SGSOs sharing out. Learn more about our COVID Related Resources
Webinars are more of a training event lead by one or two experts on a topic.

In-Person Outdoor Instruction During Covid - Virtual Gathering September 16, 11am-12:15pm PST
Description and Registration

School Gardens Support for Food Relief and Food Pantries Virtual Gathering September 23, 11am-12:15pm PST
Description and Registration

Addressing Equity in School Garden Programs Webinar September 30, 11am-12:15pm PST
Description and Registration coming soon.

Archived Webinars and Virtual Gatherings

Join Sheri S. Dollin, M.Ed., Educational Consultant and Mindfulness Facilitator, and Sunny Wight, Co-Founder of Mindfulness First, for an overview of mindfulness and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in the distance learning setting. Together, we will look at how an understanding of trauma, mindfulness and SEL can help us to manage stress while nurturing the scientifically proven "protective factors" that help prevent and manage trauma and mental health issues both for ourselves and our students. We will specifically learn about the brain science of stress, and practice mindfulness techniques you can teach to your students. We'll also take a look at Mindfulness First's synchronous and asynchronous online work, and quickly understand that it's easier than we think to integrate mindfulness and SEL into online classrooms.

View documents and details on outdoor infrastructure at https://www.greenschoolyards.org/outdoor-infrastructure
* we had a Zoom recording mishap and failed to capture SGSO introductory content and Sharon's introduction. The recorded archive picks up right as Sharon begins sharing content on outdoor classroom infrastructure and design. Learn more about the National Covid-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative, including an archived webinar and handouts at www.greenschoolyards.org/covid-19-overview-outdoor-learning

Join Sharon Danks, a leader of the National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative (www.greenschoolyards.org/covid-learn-outside), author of Asphalt to Ecosystems, and founder of Green Schoolyards America, to learn about her work supporting the creation of outdoor classrooms for reopening schools.

During her presentation Sharon will:
- Share practical examples to repurpose outdoor school spaces for outdoor learning
- Demonstrate planning scenarios to support assessing your outdoor learning space options
- Share outdoor learning infrastructure planning resources
- Provide examples of COVID-safe outdoor seating and instruction set up
- Provide a brief overview of the National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative work and resources

Distance Teaching and Learning Virtual Gathering (Fall 2020 Version) August 26, 2020
View Archive - - - Download PDF of Slide Deck

Many months of distance teaching and learning have led to the development of a treasure trove of innovative teaching tools and the launching of new educational program models. For this Virtual Gathering we will offer everyone an opportunity to introduce programs that have been developed/adapted to meet the unique educational needs presented by COVID-19 along with other support resources that have been created to share with educators and families. We would also like to hear about ideas for evaluating the impact of distance teaching efforts. We hope to focus on:
- Online lesson plans and other resources for educators and families
- Non-digital tools and methods being used to continue learning from a distance
- Ideas for evaluating the impact of your distance teaching efforts

Garden Care and Management During Covid-19 Virtual Gathering (Fall 2020 Version) August 19, 2020
View Archive - - - Download PDF of Slide Deck

A lot has changed since we last discussed this topic in April! Join us again to discuss garden care and management (Fall 2020 version). During this virtual gathering School Garden Support Organizations will share how they are supporting their staff, teachers and the community to care for school gardens this fall.

Distance Teaching and Learning Virtual Gathering (Spring 2020 Version) April 15, 2020
View Archive - - - Download PDF of Slide Deck

Garden Care and Management During Covid-19 Virtual Gathering (Spring 2020 Version) April 22, 11am PST
View or Download Archive

Maintaining Fiscal Stability for your SGSO During Covid-1 9 Virtual Gathering April 29, 11am PST
View or Download Archive

Running Your SGSO / Supporting Your Staff During Covid-19 Virtual Gathering
View and/or Download Archive

En español: Enfoques, Retos y Éxitos de los Huertos Educativos: Experiencias Iberoamericanas 10am PST, 5/12/20 View Archive

Este primer webinar en español del SGSO es una co-presentación con su red hermana, la Red Internacional de Huertos Educativos, la RIHE (redhuertos.org, FB: redhuertos), Compartiremos aprendizajes desde las 11 años de construcción de la RIHE, y coordinadores de programas integrantes de la Red en España, Uruguay, Puerto Rico y México nos hablarán de sus motivaciones, estrategias, retos y logros. ¡Queremos escuchar tus propuestas para más actividades en español!

Helda Morales - El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (México) y Red Internacional de Huertos Educativos
Andrea Estrella - Red de Huertos Escolares Sustentables de Madrid y Germinando Espacio Agroecológico
Beatriz Bellenda - Universidad de la República de Uruguay y Programa de Huertas en Centros Educativos
Marisol Dávila - Universidad de Puerto Rico Recinto Utuado y Red Conucos
Bruce Ferguson - El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (México) y Laboratorios para la Vida

Trauma-Informed Education and Horticultural Therapy - 3/12/2020 11am PST / 2pm EST
Due to a technical issue with the archived webinar we do not have an archive of the live webinar. Download the Webinar Slide Deck

There are a multitude of factors that contribute to Adverse Childhood Experiences. During our 60 minute webinar we will introduce definitions and resources to support schools and children through Trauma-informed Education and Horticultural Therapy.

Amy Yillik of Oregon's High Desert Education Service District will share her work and resources of building a culture of caring for students with trauma. Wanda Stewart, Executive Director of Common Vision and Garden Educator at Hoover Elementary in Oakland, CA, will share stories of how she uses the healing power of the garden to serve her students. Trish Hildinger, Registered Horticultural Therapist and long time school garden instructor, will introduce strategies and philosophy behind using gardens as healing spaces.

Amy Yillik - Culture of Care, High Desert Education Service District
Wanda Stewart - Common Vision
Trish Hildinger, HTR - Horticultural Therapy Santa Cruz

Resources on Trauma Informed Teaching
Resources on Horticultural Therapy
Employing solid classroom management techniques is a key factor for educational success. In this webinar, we will explore classroom management strategies specifically in the garden setting and the importance they play in creating a successful and sustainable school garden program. Topics covered will include how to create consistent routines, organize equipment, involve volunteers, utilize garden stations, and more!

Presenters include:
National Curriculum Manager Dianna Zeegers from Big Green
Community Manager Russell Sterten from the Edible Schoolyard Project
Education Specialist Sarah Pounders from KidsGardening

District-Run School Garden Programs -December 12, 2019 View Archive

This webinar features district-run school garden program directors from a medium and large school districts sharing their experience and expertise in launching and maintaining district run garden programs. Co-presented as part of the National Farm to School Network's Partner Open Space presented in partnership with the School Garden Support Organization Network. Find more resources related to district-run school garden programs on our Best Practices Resource page.

Winter Programming for SGSO's in Northern Climates - October 8, 2019 View Archive

When much of the school year takes place in freezing temperatures, how do SGSO's keep kids engaged with garden-based learning, and what are other roles that SGSO's can take on when the garden is dormant? We'll discuss ways to bring gardening inside, as well as ways to create advocacy, training, and networking opportunities. Presenters include Stefanie Bugash Scopoline from the Wisconsin School Garden Network and Community Groundworks in Wisconsin, Christine Gall from Burlington School Food Project / KidsGardening in Vermont, and Erin Jackson from Gallatin Valley Farm to School in Montana.

Volunteer Management and Community Support Webinar - September 26th, 2019 View Archive

Are you looking to engage your community in building, maintaining and celebrating your garden? School gardens are ideal places to involve the community and school gardens also require significant maintenance so they're the perfect place to bring people together. Join us as we discuss a few ways in which we have involved the community from regular maintenance with families, weekly volunteer hours, to large work days. We will discuss some of our favorite ways to get people out and excited, ideas for managing large volunteer groups, how to engage consistent volunteers, and help keep your garden looking good.Presented by: Sam Ullery: School Gardens Specialist Office of the State Superintendent of Education Washington, DC and Willa Pohlman Director of Programing and trainings City Blossoms, TBA

Crowdfunding for School Gardens - August 28th, 2019 View Archive

Time and time again, the ability to raise adequate financial support tops the list of challenges of school garden programs both at individual school and SGSO levels. In this webinar we will explore the concept of crowdfunding which is a term broadly used to describe fundraising efforts focused on raising smaller amounts of money from large numbers of people frequently through online and social media efforts. Presenters include Sarah Pounders from KidsGardening, Roger Doiron from Seedmoney.org and Hillary Lyons from Slow Food USA who will each share their experiences with crowdfunding campaigns and tips for SGSO's interested in pursuing this type of funding.View resources related the Crowdfunding webinar on our forum.

School and Community Farm Stands - May 30th, 2019 View Archive

School gardens can be used to engage the community through school and community farm stands, which take on various issues centered around food access and education. Please join us in a virtual panel discussion where we will dig into some different ways in which farm stands are being implemented and impacting students and the community. This session will follow a unique format and will give a lot of time for audience questions. If you have a question for the panelists, please share it in your registration so that they presenters can seek to answer it.
Panelists will include:Sam Adels & Zoe Markwalter - Hudson Valley SeedMikhaela Mullins - Denver Urban GardensDavid Lazere - DC GreensLyndsey Waugh & Molly Brown - Sprouts Foundation

Summer Camp Programs at School Gardens and Farms - March 26, 2019 View Archive

Looking for ideas to keep your school gardens tended and active during the summer? Are you thinking of new ways to bring garden-based learning to a community garden or farm site? Join us for a webinar on the ins and outs of running kids day camp programs on educational gardens. Erin Jackson, Education Director at Gallatin Valley Farm to School, and Amy Carlson, Garden Education Director at Life Lab, will share their years of experience and resources for creating day camp programs. From promotions to post assessments and everything in between, this hour long webinar will provide you with inspiration and ideas to create or enhance summer programming on your educational garden or farm.

Selecting, Installing and Managing School Garden Bed Systems - January 30th, 2018 View Archive Download a PDF Version

Choosing the best garden bed system for your school garden program can be an important contributing factor to long-term success. When you are working with multiple school garden sites, the number of variables to consider increases and using standardized bed systems with all of your schools can provide both benefits and challenges. In this webinar, we will hear from SGSOs who have developed standard garden bed packages and find out what has worked for them and how they source their materials. Presented by:

Sarah Pounders, KidsGardening

Brandi Keller, Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension

Tim Villard and Darin DeLay, Big Green (Formerly The Kitchen Community)

Adam Zmick, Gardeneers

Garden To Cafeteria Toolkit - May 22nd, 2018 View Archive

Are you interested in bringing fresh produce from the school garden into the cafeteria to be used in preparation of healthy school lunches? Join us for a webinar that will introduce the new Garden to Cafeteria Toolkit from Slow Food USA and Whole Kids Foundation and describe the ongoing support for Food Service Departments provided by Slow Food USA. On hand will also be Tegan Bernstein of the USDA, contributor to the toolkit, to answer any questions. Our goal is to build a Garden to Cafeteria community to support numerous districts in creating their own Garden to Cafeteria programs using the toolkit.

Equity & Access in the School Garden Movement - October 30, 2018 View Archive

School gardens can be a powerful tool for promoting racial and social equity, but equally important are the ways school garden organizations and school garden educators approach equity and access. Please join Suzannah Holsenbeck of Common Ground, Ida Sobotik of Community Groundworks, and Sam Ullery of the DC Office of State Superintendent of Education as they discuss what equity in school gardens means to their organizations. They will share case studies and offer suggestions for how your organization can tackle issues around equity and access in your work.

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Since 2017, we have hosted webinars created by SGSOs for SGSOs. Join us for an upcoming offering or browse our archives. Visit our Online Forum and Best Practices Documents for additional content related to webinar topics. Virtual Gatherings are peer to peer networking events on specific topics with many SGSOs sharing out.

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To access the MnECO Outdoor Learning Toolkit:  

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To access the MnECO Outdoor Learning Toolkit:  

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https://forms.gle/e6U8nHUpQNomLKdp7

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Stating the case for outside teaching during COVID

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Stating the case for outside teaching during COVID

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https://www.greenschoolyards.org/covid-learn-outside

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Develop and share your Why - this is a resource that includes links to research - can be used to help individuals and programs develop their why. It also includes stories to be inspire and show outdoor learning is being done internationally. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pFD7CJBFASp1-rr_NX602aGwDHonHQY6qoC5tPx7A78/edit?usp=sharing

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This website has ideas for outdoor bathrooms as well as outdoor hand washing
https://www.insideoutside.org/gettingstarted

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Many programs use this chart in Minnesota to help gauge the safe amount of time to be outside (when dressed appropriately): https://www.weather.gov/safety/cold-wind-chill-chart

Our public school program has a feels like-10*F cut-off for going outside.

Take indoor breaks to warm up without taking all the gear off (go inside, and take coat and mittens off, do an activity and then head back outside).

Other strategies: Fires to stay warm, shelters created with tarps, warm tea, hand warmers (socks filled with rice that are warmed up before going outside).

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This webinar can help provide you with talking points and protocol of how to use outdoor learning spaces https://www.greenschoolyards.org/covid-health-outside

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Loved the idea from the Webinar about marking clear pathways to and from the bathroom with nature-themed arrows.

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10-14 kids with two adults. our state (California) has set a maximum of 14 kids per stable group/class.

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10-14 kids with two adults. our state (California) has set a maximum of 14 kids per stable group/class.

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this doesn't have to do with bathrooms, but i heard a great tip yesterday from an outdoor school in VT to make sure kids empty their bladders frequently in the winter because it's less mass for their body to keep warm.

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this doesn't have to do with bathrooms, but i heard a great tip yesterday from an outdoor school in VT to make sure kids empty their bladders frequently in the winter because it's less mass for their body to keep warm.

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We have two unisex restrooms that we alternate use on M,W,F or T,Th. Frequently touched surfaces in need of sanitizing are clearly labeled and a roll of paper towels and bottle of sanitizer are kept in each stall. Folks are asked to spray things down after each use and then our staff has a schedule to thoroughly spray and wipe it all down at the start and end of every work day as well as one mid-day clean.

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All staff and students at MEarth must provide their own food - no sharing, no distributing. All eating must take place outdoors (not even inside one's office), and must happen at least 6 feet (preferably 10 feet) away from other people. For our summer camp, we set up enough picnic tables for campers to comfortably sit at least 6' apart and eat - they were also welcome to eat at their assigned stumps in the stump circle. Hands must be washed thoroughly before and after eating. We have currently ceased any student-involved harvesting and cooking activities. Our staff harvests produce from the garden for donation to local families in need and we have separate safety procedures for that.