Winter 1999

In this issue   Learning to teach: Extension volunteers share Internet skills Iowa Institute for Public Leadership brings state officials together Kids find Ag-Citing Extension strengthens low-resource families Modern Johnny Appleseed sows technology Kids dig in the dirt and grow in the garden Iowa roadways gain appeal Start college while in high school __________ The Extension Connection Winter 1999 homepage

Kids dig in the dirt and grow in the garden In the next year, more than 1,200 Iowa children in kindergarten through third grade will discover agriculture and natural resources through experiential learning with a new Iowa State University Extension curriculum called Growing in the Garden. Made possible with Extension 21 funds, Growing in the Garden will pilot in Davenport and Waterloo schools and will be used as a 4-H school enrichment program in Clinton this spring semester. It will use hands-on, garden-based learning to stimulate the natural curiosity of children to consider that all things are possible through the soil. "Kids in kindergarten through third grade like to get their hands dirty. Growing in the Garden opens their eyes to the environment around them and helps develop a sense of responsibility to it," said project coordinator Janet Anderson. Anderson said that Growing in the Garden is a 4-H resource that can go into existing 4-H programs and school classrooms. "It is not a separate, new curriculum for teachers to teach, but one that will fit into the scope and sequence already in place. The curriculum emphasizes life skill development and fits into each subject matter," Anderson claimed. Following the pilot, thousands of Iowa children could benefit as the curriculum is made available to every kindergarten through third grade classroom in the state. A design team helped develop and implement the program. LaVon Griffieon, a design team member who farms in Ankeny, stated, "Our kids don't prize food or the people who grow it. It is very important for them to see where the food comes from, to become self-sufficient. They will value it more if they have a personal investment in it."