The Kids in the Garden program at UNCP funded by the Burroughs-Wellcome program and others was a STEAM program for middle and high school students in the region at the UNC-P Campus Garden and Apiary, in the Oxendine Science Building, and in the surrounding community. The program was a collaborative effort with the Departments of Biology and Geology and Geography at UNCP.
Over the six years of the program, we had 190 middle and high school students of which 32% are American Indian, 22% African American, 24% Latino, and 5% multiracial with 83% of the students being minority students and 50/50 male to female with one transgender student. There were 15 science projects with 10 regional and 3 statewide winners. One high school science and engineering fair project on pollen and honey proceeded on to the International Science and Engineering Fair. Eight projects were presented by the students at the NC Academy of Science conference. Undergraduate students involved in the UNCP Campus Garden & Apiary as interns or managers acted as near-peer mentors. During the project, we had five garden managers and 20 undergraduates involved of which 50% were minority students and 60% were male. The undergraduate students presented 50 scientific posters at a variety of scientific meetings and 3 won recognition for their pollen and pollinator research.
The STEAM curriculum and teacher professional development currently being developed from the project are based on the unifying concepts of biodiversity, sustainability, and cycles using garden-based learning in schools. We use the 3H socio-emotional learning model as seen to the right:
Listen to the College of Arts and Sciences, 30 Brave Minutes Podcast featuring the Kids in the Garden Faculty!
Click the link Here to access the podcast!
Below: The College of Arts and Sciences engages in podcast conversation with the Kids in the Garden Faculty: Drs. Rita Hagevik (Top C), Martin Farley (L Bottom) and Kaitlin Campbell (Bottom C)
