“We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.”
Roosevelt Franklin
Agricultural science and the natural world have found themselves pushed out of increasingly competitive school environments. Students from pre-k onward are being prepped for college acceptances instead of for our changing environment. The lack of attachment to green spaces and the reinforcement of fluorescent halls has led to increased negative effects on today’s youth, particularly in their education and overall health. This paper explores the overarching need for environmental education in public schools through access to classroom gardens. Detailed are groups around the United States that have worked to implement “agriscience” into public school classrooms, with a focus on the Durham Public School System’s Hub Farm. These organizations will be used to evaluate the impact gardens have on the habits and long-term well being of students. This paper aims to offer a holistic evaluation of the benefits of gardens in public school classrooms, and their ability to build our youth for the future.
