Learning

School gardens give students a place to slow down, notice details, and connect classroom learning to living plants. A planter of herbs, a bed of greens, or a tray of seedlings makes science, food, and climate education feel concrete and engaging. 

Many public schools in NYC have very little, or no, outdoor space and limited support for gardens. Yards are paved; courtyards sit unused, and classrooms need small, durable setups. School staff and teachers juggle competing demands, tight schedules, different learning needs, and long winters that limit time outdoors. Gardens must be easy to care for, safe to use, and well suited to rooftops, courtyards, and indoor classrooms. 

We work with school staff to design simple, repeatable planting systems that match the school calendar and withstand weather, heavy use, and uneven watering. Educators lead lessons that connect plants to nutrition, ecology, and climate while giving students new ways to practice focus, cooperation, and sensory awareness. Teacher training offers clear, standards-aligned methods and practical routines that weave gardens into everyday teaching. Field trips to the Greenhouse Education Center and Learning Garden at Denny Farrell Riverbank State Park, and the NYCPS Carol Pino Learning Farm introduces students to larger growing systems and deepens their understanding of food, seasons, and climate. 

Students gain confidence, curiosity, and a new  connection to the natural world, even in dense urban neighborhoods. Schools gain gardens that stay usable across seasons and function as outdoor classrooms and gathering places for teachers, families, and community. 

The Greenhouse Education Center is a place where New Yorkers can see how plants grow and practice basic urban horticulture in a community-focused learning environment. In a calm, sensory-rich space, we offer programs that teach people to handle without needing a large outdoor garden or park. 

Many visitors come from homes, schools, and neighborhoods with little or no plantable space. For them, simple acts such as watering a planter, cutting flowers for a bouquet, , or cooking with herbs grown just outside are new experiences. New York’s weather shortens growing seasons and interrupts school and community gardening for much of the year. One greenhouse also has to function as a classroom, youth workspace, propagation site, and gathering place for families and neighbors. 

Our programs engage first-time visitors with activities they can complete with confidence: sowing seeds, creating art, cooking with seasonal ingredients, and caring for plants as they grow with their community. Staff coordinate schedules for school trips, youth internships, trainings, and public programs in a space that stays active during winter storms, summer heat, and the weeks when outdoor gardens are dormant. Lessons adapt to different ages, abilities, and physical needs. Raised beds, bench-height worktables, and clear instructions keep the greenhouse safe and accessible for New Yorkers of all ages and abilities. We actively engage and hire facilitators from the local area who reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. 

Visitors leave with practical experience in caring for plants and a clearer understanding of how soil, water, and climate affect plant growth. The seedlings and skills that begin in the greenhouse travel with them to classrooms, learning farms, supportive housing gardens, and neighborhood planting projects across New York City. 

We turn Open Streets, BIDs, and public plazas into shared places where people spend time with plants. We offer accessible activities, such as planting microgreens, working with herbs, or propagating plants, so neighbors can actively engage with nature close to home. 

Many neighborhoods where we work have limited nearby open and or green space; residents may rarely work with soil or see firsthand how plants grow. Public areas are often paved and designed for movement, commerce, or transit, not for plants or activities that invite people to linger. Participants arrive with different ages, physical abilities, languages, and levels of comfort around nature. A small set of Open Street corridors, BIDs, and public plaza sites must serve many purposes at once, which can strain space, staff, and materials. 

To make these spaces work for hands-on engagement, we design compact workshops such as container plantings, micro-growing projects, and sensory activities that fit safely on public plazas and Open Streets. We run regular horticulture and wellness sessions in the community spaces that we plant and maintain. Programs run as drop-in sessions so families, older adults, and youth groups can participate without advance planning. Facilitators add therapeutic horticulture elements that support calm, focus, and connection. 

People leave with everyday skills they can use at home, new sensory experiences with plants, and an expectation that nature should be part of daily city life. Over time, city blocks, public plazas, and Open Street corridors become trusted places where greenery, shared activities, and visible care strengthen neighborhood ties.