By Jasmine Gill
“Growing good kids — that is the purpose behind the Junior Master Gardener program.”
Lisa Whittlesey, program coordinator for the International Junior Master Gardener program says gardening is about growing plants, and the Junior Master Gardener program uses that concept to grow kids. Their mission is to ignite passions for learning, success, and service in children.
The Junior Master Gardener program is a hands-on gardening education program, according to Whittlesey. It consists of seven different curricula, which schools and children’s organizations can use to develop an appreciation for the environment. The group can choose which curriculum to use based on interest, grade, and age of the children. Each curriculum has three components: lessons, career exploration, and a community service project. Students also have the opportunity to be certified in the curriculum.
Inspiration for the program came to Whittlesey after working with a horticulture program for the Federal Prison Camp for female inmates in Bryan.
“I taught about things like gardening and landscaping and saw a change in the students,” says Whittlesey. “They had a desire to make the space around them more beautiful. It was less stressful than what they were used to. Then the women wanted to learn more about gardening with their children [for when they visited them in the prison]. At that time, there was not a curriculum for children in gardening.”
Since the Junior Master Gardener program has been put in place, Whittlesey says she has noticed that gardening brought out the softer side to the students who often showed a hard exterior.
“Children and adults do not have an opportunity to know where their food comes from,” says Whittlesey. “When children have to be responsible for planting and tending a garden, they realize that the things they do impact other things in the world. It helps them respect the environment and [teaches them that] they have a responsibility to take care of things — it teaches them where their food comes from.”
There has also been research conducted on how the Junior Master Gardener program benefits children, particularly the “Learn, Grow, Eat & Go” curriculum.
“We have had a number of research projects to look at the impact of the program on children,” says Whittlesey. “We have seen academic improvement in children who have gone through the program, along with many other things.”
In research done in conjunction by Texas A&M University and the University of Texas School of Public Health, it was found that there was a significant reduction in child BMI through participating in the curriculum. A few of the other findings showed that students also increased preference and consumption to vegetables, and had more knowledge in plant science and nutrition.
The Junior Master Gardener program is an example of an extension program that is part of “Healthy Texas,” an initiative launched by the Texas A&M chancellor John Sharp, according to Whittlesey. “Healthy Texas” has the goal to create a healthier population in Texas through community programming. However, the implementation of the Junior Master Gardener program is not limited to Texas.
“The first curriculum was created in 1999 and since that time it has spread to all 50 states … and 12 countries,” says Whittlesey. “It is offered in English, Spanish, and Korean.”
Some of the countries include Canada, Dominican Republic, South Korea, Haiti, Guatemala, and China.
“When you plant a seed in a child’s heart, that’s a seed that nurtures and grows forever,” says Whittlesey. “The Junior Master Gardener Program gives people the tools to be able to plant those seeds in children and those communities. For me, there is no greater calling.”
To learn more about the Junior Master Gardener Program and how to join, visit www.jmgkids.us or call (979) 845-8565.