Community Partnerships

Discovery GardenCommunity Partnerships

Shadow Lake Elementary SchoolTahoma School District9 Outdoor Teaching Stations

Discover Sensory Plants Garden

Discover Plants from Around the World GardenDiscover Food Plants Garden

Outdoor Teaching Stations

Discover Washington Garden

Discover Butterflies Garden

Discover Pollinators Garden

Discover Forests & Meadows Trail

Discover Plants with Animal Names GardenDiscover Early Earth Garden

Outdoor Teaching StationsKeys to SuccessA PRINCIPAL that is 100% committed to the project. Our principal did an outstanding job gathering community support. * Garnered support from district & through-out the community * Solicited Volunteer Hours (Volunteers may not have shown- up if not for letters from the principal)* Solicited Financial Support

Community Support and Involvement

Stable Funding Source (Funds & in-kind donations)

Coordinator to manage projects

Creative Funding & Supportive PartnersVolunteerContributionEnvironmental Education CoordinatorCollaborates with school, businesses, agencies, organizations, families and individuals to provide gardens, outdoor programs and eventsMaster GardenerBuilds & maintains gardens, provides information to students and communityNature Nut LeaderWeekly program for students at recessNative Plant StewardShares value of Native PlantsLocal Professional ArtistsCycles SculptureNon-Profit ExpertProvides organizational direction and writes grantsMaple Trails Garden ClubLabor and materialsLinks with Organizations

ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONSMaster Gardener FoundationMaster GardenerTeaching KitsYouth Education Program FundingWashington Native Plant Society

Native Plant StewardGrant for engraved self-guided tour signs; Teaching kit; Earth Day FairNational Wildlife FederationSchoolyard Habitat Certification & SupportAudubon SocietyEarth Day FairShadow Lake BogEarth Day FairBurke Museum of Natural HistoryEarth Day FairUS Forest ServiceSmokey BearPacific Education Institute (PEI)Training for teachers & coordinatorEnvironmental Educators Association of WashingtonTrainingProgram ResourcesE3 WashingtonEducation, Environment, EconomyTrainingProgram ResourcesAmericorpsVolunteer laborSchool District SupportsShadow Lake Administration *PrincipalFull support of programsCorrelations to state academic standardsShadow Lake EducatorsBring students to outdoor classroomsDevelop curriculum connectionsEncourage participation with Nature NutsShadow Lake Administration PersonnelSupport coordination of programs and eventsDistrict Department ofTeaching & LearningSupport development of curriculum connections, provides training & support from PEIDistrict School Board & AdministrationFull support of programs

Parent Teacher Assoc. (PTA)Financial supportTahoma District Grounds crewMaintenance of gardensShadow Lake Maintenance crewSupport programs and eventsDistrict Technology & Print ShopCommunicationLocal Professional ArtistsFine Art Cycles SculptureLandscape DesignerDiscover Washington DesignConsultantCedar Grove CompostSoil for garden bedsFred MeyerCommunity grantsTulalip Indian TribeFunded Cycles sculptureBoeingCorporate Matching fundsStarbucksWork parties & financial grantsHardware storesBuilding MaterialsCommunity PartnershipsSchool Families & Work PartiesShadow Lake families:From infants to teens to grandparents, contribute many hours of labor at seasonal work parties.Families donate materials of their own or from employers.

Teenagers!?!(former Shadow Lake students)

Starbucks Make Your Mark Day (hours = $$)

School Families ContributePlantsMaterialsToolsSuppliesBirdhousesBird bathsLaborGarden enhancementsServicesEquipmentFinancial ContributionsVolunteer at booths for Earth Day Fair

Boy Scouts of America(work parties, benches)

Girl Scouts of America (work parties, birdhouses)

Service OrganizationsThey provide helping hands for our work parties.We provide food from our garden harvest to share with needy families.

School wide: Every student, Every class plants a tulip or daffodil bulb in the fallThe gardens are spectacular when they bloom!Students as Community Contributors

A study at Georgetown University found that even if students, teachers, and educational approach remained the same, improving a schools physical environment could increase test scores by as much as 11%. A Whole New Mind, Daniel H. PinkNATURE NUTS Volunteer Led ProgramNO CHILD LEFT INSIDE!planting hiking unstructured play weeding filling birdfeedersobserving harvestinglooking for wildlife

Pride & Spirit Award: Recognition each time they engage with nature

Earth Day WeekCELEBRATIONStudents, educators, parents, staff and environmentally conscious community members celebrated the weeks endeavors with a festival celebrating the weeklong activities.Informational games and booths were sponsored by : Washington Native Plant Society, Burke Museum of Natural History, Shadow Lake Bog, Rainier Chapter of Audubon Society, Smokey Bear from National Forest ServiceWeek long educational activities focus on the importance of healthy habitat for all living things. Students and teachers explore different aspects of the 4 critical habitat elements and our connection with them: Food Water Shelter Space Kindergarten and first graders participate in Habitat Safari, a fun and engaging learning opportunity where students identify the four elements right on the school site and seek out evidence of local wildlife and the natural habitats in which they live.Second graders enjoy becoming paleontologists, digging in the Early Earth Garden only to unearth botanical imprints, fossilized bones, and ancient dinosaur tracks. They get to take home a lump of coal!Third, fourth and fifth grade students study riparian and forest habitats as well as the impact of global warming on habitats around the world.

Benefits for Students & StaffDiscovery Gardens of Shadow LakeProvide opportunities for enhanced learning Binds students together as peer partners and offers real life inclusion experiences for all persons with different-abilities.Educators utilize outdoor teaching stations for lessons directly linked to the environmental educational standards set by Washington State Legislators (EALRS/GLEs)Garden participants experience pride, responsibility, ownership, curiosity, and environmental accountabilityStudents and staff provide frequent garden tours to our Shadow Lake guestsStaff appreciate the unique educational experiences it offers their students.A beautiful sensory garden experience awaits students, staff and visitors upon arrival to school each day.Everyone is welcome to join in the fun.

Community BenefitsShadow Lake Discovery gardens:

Provide an opportunity for full participation eliminating age, gender, socio economic class, physical and developmental disability issues. All persons are invited and welcomed into the Garden.Establish community partnerships for support of Tahoma School district schoolsOffers sensory experiences to local seniors residential careProvides outreach and fellowship with home schooled studentsReligious affiliations and schools team together to help the local food banksPatrons of the arts have a creative welcoming outlet Garden club members share expertise and enlighten our youth in the area of botanical studiesTahoma School District is noted for its enhanced environmental learning projects and this educational model is shared with neighboring school districts

Lifelong learners

Discovery Gardens Project Perspective: Lessons Learned

Communities come together when they focus on projects that make a difference not only in our immediate surroundings, but also have a larger impact on our world in which we live. The Discovery Gardens provide continual opportunities for hands-on learning experiences. Discovery Garden participants come away with an increased sense of awareness and accountability to the preservation of the earth, protection of our wildlife and an understanding of how their participation contributes to the environment.

Growing PainsWith all projects comes the accountability factor of funding and people power. The school staff, teachers, administrators, community members, parents and the students themselves desire more opportunities for enhancement of the Discovery Garden program. With reliance on donations and pure people power passionate about the project, we have made great strides.

Areas where we could grow the program could include:Support and grow funding (i.e., locate willing grant writers, community donations, personal trusts and corporate endowments/sponsors)Develop a staff project coordinator position for someone who has the time and background knowledge to bring Environmental Education curriculum elements into the classroom.Support educational outreach through training classroom educators and school volunteers willing to attend workshops and courses designed to address the environmental education standardsIntegrate fresh environmental educational lessons that support the EALRS and GLEs guidelinesContinue exploration of the world around us and peak student interest in the sciences.

Growing DreamsThings wed like to do if time and money were no object:

Directly for kidsMore plants for kids to plantMore time outsideClass lessons Unstructured exploring timeEarth steward mentors programWildlife encounter assembliesEnvironmental field tripsMore curriculum connections with in-class lessonsNature docent programExpanded Earth Day Event More booths More volunteers for the booths

For the ProgramPrint field guides for teachers to useMore help maintaining gardensMore support for teachers to bring classes outside More benches at meadowNew shed for suppliesNew wheelbarrowsEncourage other schools and groups to use our outdoor classroomsMore cool plants and trees to get them hooked on NATURE!

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION: FOR KIDS SAKES!