School Education
Bringing kids closer to fresh, healthy, locally grown food
Mill City Grows launched the School Garden Program in 2013 and provides garden and food education to over 5,000 Lowell students each year through in-school, after school, and out-of-school curricula. Currently, 20 school gardens encourage students to work together, try new foods, and learn about where their food comes from. The garden classroom grows not only veggies, but core life skills such as compassion, curiosity, and a love of learning. Our School Education Team is excited to work together with your students, administration, and families.
Contact us today!
Daphnne Ekmanis, School Education Manager
Daphnne[at]millcitygrows[dot]org
978-455-2620
Tune in to Episode 12 of our “Roots In Lowell” podcast, featuring our MCG Education Team!
MCG School Education Program Offerings
Our curriculum is designed to empower students, teachers, school administrators, parents, and the school community to care for their garden for years to come.
After School Program
From October to June, students will use critical thinking skills and imagination while exploring the garden outside, trying new foods, and learning to support a local food system. Programming aligns with the school’s after school schedule, meeting on a weekly or twice weekly basis.
Build a School Garden
We believe that every school should have a school garden that can be used as an outdoor classroom and oasis for students and staff. We consult, design, and build a school garden that best suits the needs of each school. Students can get their hands dirty and help fill the beds with compost.
Farm Field Trips
Hosted on our farm on Pawtucket Boulevard in Lowell, students will discover a 4-acre vegetable farm, engage their senses with several activity stations, and taste what is in season. Field Trips are 2 hours long and can accommodate up to 60 children. Available July – November.
Farm to Table Cooking Classes
Sharing a meal together is one of the greatest ways to build connections and foster community. In a hands-on setting, students and their families will try new, healthy foods, learn kitchen skills, and work together to feel closer to each other, their local food system, and their school community. Classes can be hosted in select LPS cafeterias or MCG’s ROOT Kitchen in Lowell.
Harvesting and Planting Days
Spring and fall bring the excitement of planting and harvesting! MCG will spend time with as many students as possible filling their school garden with seeds and seedlings, harvesting the garden bounty, and celebrating the seasons. We will provide all necessary materials.
Professional Development and Support
We create space for teachers to grow by offering fun cooking classes, tools for garden maintenance and management, and STEM curriculum connections to the garden.
Seeding Curiosity: Immersive exploration at MCG’s Education Garden!
Tucked away in the back corner of MCG’s “Big Farm,” the Education and Sensory gardens are places where people of all ages can immerse themselves in the magic of growing and nature. The Education Garden features a little bit of everything from watermelons hanging in hammocks to tunnels of trellised purple and yellow beans. Students visiting on field trips can pick and eat tomatoes right off the vine, create bug habitats, and make beautiful flower bouquets. Reimagined in 2023, the Sensory Garden is a classroom used for smelling, feeling, touching, listening, and exploring. Humans and bees alike can smell all the flowers while meandering through the pops of colors growing on this farm oasis.
For more information on our Farm Field Trips, please contact Daphnne Ekmanis at our Mill City Grows office at 978-455-2620 or email Daphnne[at]millcitygrows[dot]org.
Thanks to our School Education Program Community Partners!
