In 2013 Webster County Cooperative Extension partnered with Webster County Conservation District and Natural Resources Conservation Service and started the “Outdoor Environmental Lab” which consisted of six raised beds at each Webster County Elementary School.   The lab was used to teach students about soils, plants, gardening and nutrition while reinforcing basic skills in math, reading and writing.  During that time, students reported they learned what soils were made of and how to garden in a small space.  The program was on-going for several years, but due to staff changes in the school and conservation district, the program has been dormant since 2018.  

Webster County Extension and Webster County Family Resource Center joined forces to revamp and offer the “Outdoor learning lab” program again.  During such a trying year for students, there was a need to offer a program that was both educational and fun.  This program allowed students from two different grades at two elementary schools to learn how to plant different vegetables and flowers and how to continue to care for them after they are planted.  They also learned how to work together to complete the task.  The program consisted of two in-person sessions.   During the first session the students cleaned out the raised beds and filled the beds with the needed garden soil mixture.  The students planted different vegetables and flowers that attract butterflies in the 2^nd session.  

A survey was given to the Webster County Family Resource Center coordinator two months after the program.  The results are best described in her own words.  “This gardening experience gave students an opportunity to be outside and work together in small groups. Not only were students having an absolute blast, but they were also using their brains in ways they did not even realize. They were even incorporating math to figure out how much garden soil was needed per bed. Each student was able to take home their own tomato plant in a bucket as well to care for at home. I am confident that this gardening program provided the know-how for students to be able to repeat this independently in the future. I truly cannot wait to be able to do this again!”

Plans are being made now to expand the program by implementing cooking demonstrations and taste testing with produce raised in the gardens.  This program will continue to be offered in 2022 and beyond.