Life Lab Science Program

National Programs: Life Lab offers hands-on workshops on garden-based science, nutrition, and environmental education for educators from across the nation at its Garden Classroom in Santa Cruz, CA, and on demand around the U.S. It also offers a 16-week intensive Certified School Garden Educator course of virtual trainings, coaching, and peer sharing for participants across the country. Life Lab also hosts an annual national School Garden Support Organization Leadership Institute in partnership with Whole Kids Foundation to help teams from peer organizations share and advance best practices for the field. Life Lab develops and distributes curricula, activity guides and other learning materials nationally to support preK-6 teachers in successfully implementing hands-on garden-based education programs. (continued on Schedule O)

Local Community Site Programs: Life Lab provides school year field trips and summer day programs at its Garden Classroom and Blooming Classroom educational gardens located on farms in Santa Cruz and Watsonville, respectively. Gardens give children the chance to experience hands-on learning about science, nutrition, the environment and much more. The Garden Classroom also serves as a demonstration site for visitors interested in developing educational gardens. Life Lab staff train and mentor more than 60 college and community interns to serve as experiential garden-based science and environmental educators each year in field trip programs.