The Child Care Center is a full-day, year-round urban preschool that has long used gardening and nature/ecology as part of its curriculum. Gardening teaches where food comes from, that different seasons impact plants--as well as the creatures that depend on them, including humans--in different ways, and lifecycles. Children learn to prepare the soil, grow plants from seeds, transplant others, and provide care by watering and weeding and harvesting their “crops." We also plant to attract more wildlife. Our yard invites exploration, stimulates all senses, and is ever changing and beautiful.

Our goal is to give the children who attend our full-day preschool the skills they need to succeed in school while fostering the shared community values of cooperation and respect. Through gardening with their classmates, these very young children learn teamwork, respect for their role in stewardship of our environment, to respect life and to enjoy nature. Through gardening, children develop both fine and gross muscles and coordination and social skills. Besides developing interpersonal relationships, they also observe the adults in their lives interacting productively.

To support expansion, adult participation has been increased to include a Garden Committee of parents, teachers, board and community members to handle planning, administration and the more strenuous tasks. The Garden Committee develops cohesive, long-range plans for work detail and design.