The Learn, Grow, Eat and Go! course of the Junior Master Gardener program is now available online.
“Learn, Grow, Eat and Go! is the popular research-based youth gardening and nutrition education project of the international Junior Master Gardener program,” said Randy Seagraves, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program specialist who led development of the online version of the course.
The Junior Master Gardener program is the international youth gardening program of the university cooperative Extension system. It was created and is managed by AgriLife Extension, part of Texas A&M AgriLife.
“Learn, Grow, Eat and Go! grows good kids through an interdisciplinary program of academics, gardening, nutrient-dense food experiences, physical activity and school and family engagement,” Seagraves said. “It is part of the Junior Master Gardener curriculum that engages children in novel, hands-on learning experiences that help kids develop a love of gardening and appreciation for the environment, while helping them cultivate their minds.”
Seagraves said his team developed the new digital content as a distance learning opportunity for elementary school students, and the target audience is children in third to fifth grade.
The course is $35 and is available at https://bit.ly/2RRHtdG.
“The content for the online Learn, Grow, Eat and Go! for Youth course is very similar to the current LGEG in-person program curriculum, which provides two lessons per week over a 10-week period,” he said. “It provides interactive, video-based content for all 20 LGEG lessons.”
Each week’s lessons include a featured activity and a Go Strong Challenge for participants to engage in extra physical activity during the week.
“Children can get involved in exploring their world through meaningful activities that encourage leadership development, personal pride and responsibility,” Seagraves said. “Through a linear set of academically rich, proven lessons, they will learn about plants and what they need as well as how plants provide for our needs. They will also engage in fun and educational arts and crafts activities, see how to cook some nutritious vegetable-based recipes, and learn how to maintain a garden.”
Seagraves said the course is also initially being made available at no cost to elementary school teachers who sign up to be a part of the national pilot of this new project. More information on the pilot can be found at https://www.JMGkids.us/virtual.
The complete Junior Master Gardener ‘Learn, Grow, Eat & Go!’ curriculum, designed for use by teachers in a classroom setting, is available at the Texas A&M AgriLife Bookstore at a cost of $52.
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