In 2024, the Fort Lauderdale Garden Club began offering grants to install and fortify gardens in Broward County schools. The purpose of the grants is to provide on-site gardens where children can learn first-hand about the role of pollinators, native plants, food production and water conservation. Children will participate in planting, watering, garden maintenance and learn about environmental stewardship. The gardens will beautify the school campuses and enable children to observe nature’s creatures at work.

Seven schools were selected for this year, out of fourteen excellent applications. We are inspired by the work that all these amazing educators are doing and we look forward to supporting them as they engage the students in bringing their learning gardens to life.

Gabriela McCauley, Special Programs Teacher at Apollo Middle School is planning a garden in an un-used open space near the special education wing for easy access to students in grades 6 – 8 with disabilities.  The garden will be designed with handicap-accessible raised beds and smooth pathway for mobility devices. The sensory garden will serve as both a therapeutic space for students with disabilities and a beautification project for the school. ​

Julietta Ambroise, Middle School Science teacher and the team at Cypress Run Education Center are creating a school-based garden as a social emotional learning resource to enhance the science curriculum of middle school students, with a special focus on those who may be a higher risk of failure.  The garden will provide experiential learning activities that support both academic and emotional needs.  Participating in planning and developing the garden will enable students to experience science in action, build leadership skills, engage in teamwork and build self-confidence through collaboration and ownership of a project with other students.

Richard Lamarre, Science Department Instructor at Miramar High School, is engaging his students in fortifying their edible food forest. He envisions starting an aquaponics project, an indoor vertical garden and a greenhouse to enable year-round growing of fresh produce. Students will learn to create their own system and experience the benefit of year-round growing. Richard is also a Broward County Master Gardener.

Erika Gurk, First Grade teacher at Sandpiper Elementary School, envisions sensory gardens in their classroom pods, where each pod has one of five senses, so students and staff can experience all the senses in the garden. The garden will provide a calm safe space, allowing the students to explore and be curious while learning. The garden will encourage creativity and imagination while fostering social interaction, improving focused attention and encouraging responsibility.

Zuwania Smith, Family Therapist at Whiddon Rogers Education Center, is creating a therapeutic garden with a focus on medicinal herbal plants, sensory plants and pollinator-friendly flowers. The garden will serve as a therapeutic space for students who participate in the school therapy program, helping them develop social-emotional wellness through interaction with plants and hands-on learning.

Ludnie Desravines, 6^th Grade World History Teacher at William Dandy Middle School plans to develop an edible pollinator garden with middle school students in both garden and history classes. The garden will feature culinary and medicinal herbs, pollinating flowers, and culturally relevant edible plants that will serve both educational and aesthetic purposes. The garden class students (7^th and 8^th grade) will be responsible for installing and maintaining the garden, while the history class students (6^th grade) will study the plants in the context of their cultural and historical significance. The garden will both beautify the school grounds and promote hands-on learning experiences that bridge science, culture, and history.

Bailey Erisman, 3^rd Grade Teacher and Mack Moore, 2^nd Grade Teacher at Wilton Manors Elementary School (pictured here with members of our Garden Grants Committee) are planning to create a “Florida Everglades” area in their school courtyard, which is both educational and sustainable. It will incorporate plants that are native to the Everglades and wetland habitat, and support teaching students about native ecosystems, biodiversity, and environmental stewardship.