| The National Gardening Association was founded in | | | | healthy life and learning about the natural plant like |
| 1973 as a non-profit organization with the goal of | | | | around the world today. When someone adopts a |
| educating people about different types of plants and | | | | garden for a school a representative from the NGA |
| shrubbery. The National Gardening Association is | | | | will complete a list of items for the adoption to get |
| headquartered in South Burlington, Vermont. The | | | | off the ground running. The list includes finding some |
| National Gardening Association provides the majority | | | | to become the garden team leader, what area of |
| of plant-based educational to most schools with | | | | plant education the school will focus on, send the |
| grade levels ranging from K-12. The National | | | | school educational materials and literature for the |
| Gardening Association teaches health and wellbeing, | | | | teachers, finding a way to get the surrounding |
| helps develop communities, home gardening and | | | | community involved and ways to encourage long |
| offers various programs and activities. | | | | term sustainability of the garden. |
| The programs and activities run by the National | | | | For the awards and grants that the National |
| Gardening Association are the Adopt a School | | | | Gardening Association gives out, there are |
| Garden, the GROW Program, Vermont Garden Park, | | | | requirements that need to be met. They are pretty |
| Teacher Professional Development, National Youth | | | | simple too. The requirements are that the school |
| Garden Grants and many, many more. Aside from | | | | interested in receiving a grant must be teaching and |
| the programs listed here, the National Gardening | | | | gardening with students between the ages of 3 to |
| Association also offers a variety of other grants and | | | | 18 and the group can consist of no less than 15 |
| awards. | | | | students at anytime. Any school that wins a grant or |
| The National Gardening Association feels that children | | | | scholarship from the National Gardening Association |
| should be taught on a daily basis about plant life and | | | | must fill out a survey at the end of every year that |
| how to run a garden properly. The NGA believes that | | | | explains the impact of the program on the students. |
| gardening can strengthen a child emotionally, mentally | | | | Each individual grant has a different type of impact |
| and even physically. Teaching gardening helps | | | | report to file with the association at the end of each |
| students understand the natural way of life for plants | | | | year. |
| and better understand where their food comes from. | | | | Finally, the GROW Program is an ongoing project run |
| Not only do students learn where their food comes | | | | by the National Gardening Association advocating the |
| from but it also provides a look into healthy living; | | | | importance of gardening at schools, home and in |
| such as how to eat a proper meal to live a healthy | | | | communities. The GROW Program also provides year |
| life. | | | | round gardening tips to beginners and experts as well |
| The National Gardening Association began their Adopt | | | | as national gardening events and conferences. The |
| a School Garden program to aid in the instruction of | | | | National Gardening Association: "When you garden, |
| students across the country when it comes to a | | | | you grow. |