Below are the trainings offered by the OSSE School Gardens Program to support garden-based teaching and learning in District schools.
School Garden 101 Training
This training was created by OSSE as a helpful guide for school-based staff interested in learning more about the process of creating a school garden.
There are four components to this training:
1) Establishing a New School Garden
2) Maintaining an Existing School Garden Program
3) Providing High-Quality Garden Based Instruction
4) Glossary and Resources
Training participants are invited to engage with the sections of the training that best apply to their goals, and have the ability to navigate between the sections in the order they choose.
Access the School Garden 101 training here.
The Summer Institute for Garden-based Teaching
Watch this video to hear from educators who attended the 2025 Summer Institute.
Overview
The Summer Institute for Garden-Based Teaching is a four-day training, consisting of 30 hours of intensive in-person training for 40 K-5 District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) and public charter school teachers.
Watch this video to hear from educators who attended the 2025 Summer Institute.
To learn more, visit the Summer Institute for Garden-based Teaching page.
Outdoor Learning Gatherings
Outdoor Learning Gatherings are for educators seeking resources and inspiration to engage students in activities that benefit from being outdoors and nature.
Are you…
- A DC educator interested in connecting with others who are passionate about engaging with students outdoors?
- Searching for resources and best practices centered around outdoor learning that you can incorporate into your teaching practice?
- Looking to deepen your students’ personal relationship to place through experiences that connect to locally relevant content?
… Then Outdoor Learning Gatherings are for YOU!
What educators have said about their experience at Outdoor Learning Gatherings:
“Learning and connecting with other garden coordinators is wonderful!”
“Super welcoming and friendly gathering, great to chat with the outdoor education community!”
“The information and the hands-on demonstrations were very engaging and inspiring!”
“I really enjoyed the wildflower activity and the socializing with other educators.”
2025-26 Outdoor Gathering Sessions:
This year OSSE is promoting existing trainings led by organizations that provide high-quality garden-based trainings to DC educators.
Fall into School Gardening
Sept. 6, 2026
Hosted by: Friends of the National Arboretum
Location: Washington Youth Garden, on-site of US National Arboretum (3501 New York Ave. NE, Washington, DC 20002)
Interested in learning to take care of your school garden? Have questions about gardening? Need supplies to kick off the fall/winter season?
- Free supplies to prepare your garden for the upcoming season including straw mulch, compost, row cover, fall crop and cover crop seeds (carrots, radish, winter rye, field peas, scallions, cilantro, lettuce) and seedlings (collards, kale, chard, bunching onions, tatsoi, broccoli, cauliflower, asian cabbage, sorrel)*
- Additional seedlings including a tray of 50 mixed swiss chard, brussel sprouts, broccoli, kale, and collard greens. You must fill out the University of the District of Columbia’s Grow DC form (available in the coming months).
- Hands-on training at 11:30 a.m. on how to prepare garden beds, plant carrot seeds and transplant collard greens seedlings
- Connect with garden educators from across D.C.
Project WILD Workshop
Aug. 3, 2026 | 12:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Hosted by: District Department of Energy and Environment’s Aquatic Resources Education Center
Location: 1900 Anacostia Drive, Washington, DC 20020
Register: Email your name, school, and grade level taught to [email protected].
Project WILD is an environmental education professional learning program developed by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. The program’s goal is to develop awareness, knowledge, skills, and commitment resulting in informed decision making, responsible behavior, and constructive actions concerning wildlife and the environment. During the workshop, participants will learn strategies to implement hands-on environmental education in their work and experience Project WILD activities. All workshop participants will leave with a Project WILD guidebook filled with more than 80 fully developed and easy-to-implement lessons and activities for grades K-12.
Interested in hosting or presenting at an upcoming gathering? Do you want to share information about your program at an upcoming gathering? Do you have a topic you want to talk about? Do you want to host a gathering at your school or teaching site? Let us know by completing this short survey. A small stipend will be provided to speakers.