
June 1, 2024, began as a drizzly, overcast, cool Saturday morning as The Friends welcomed several wonderful teachers who have participated in our FRoG Science Outreach Program at The Virginia Robinson Gardens. They represented a microcosm of the many teachers who have taught our 3-unit science program to more than 10,000 students in the greater Los Angeles area in the past few years. The program was written to educate students about what science can be learned from a garden…Nutrition, Plants, and Ecosystems. Each teacher visiting had already used one or more of the units with their students.
We basked in the sunshine of all the positive comments about the FRoG program as Kerstin Royce led the teachers on a tour of the Gardens. A lovely lunch of salads, sandwiches, and cookies from Clementine’s was served. The discussion was led by Kerstin and Patti Reinstein. Information about our County Summer Program came from Branden Santos and Pamela Davis.
Teachers shared many positive experiences that they and their children have had. One teacher told of her class connecting culture to their own gardens, noting the fact that many cultures use things grown in a garden for medicinal purposes. Another teacher told us that the materials are so engaging for the class that the children are very disappointed when the class ends and they have to wait for the next day to continue the lesson. It was said that our program has brought so many opportunities for a broader scope of interest to her class, and she appreciates how the materials are age-appropriate, colorful, and varied using art, music, reading, math, and creative writing as learning tools.
Click on the photo above to hear the teacher’s comments!
Teacher Appreciation Day ended by giving each teacher one of our colorful VRG tote bags and an issue of Eden, (a quarterly journal of the California Garden & Landscape History Society) dedicated to the history of VRG. They were also given lovely Certificates of Appreciation for being wonderful Ambassadors for our Children’s Science Outreach Program. The following schools were represented by the teachers: 186th Street, Hancock Park School, Palms Academy, Osceola, Saint Paul the Apostle, Miles Avenue, and Loyola Village Fine and Performing Arts Magnet. It is important that we honor our teachers for the difficult and essential work that they do.
Post and photos by Patti Reinstein and Kerstin Royce
Friends of Robinson Gardens Board Members
Co-chairs of the Children’s Science Outreach Program
The Popular Fellows Thank You Dinner - Robinson Gardens
[…] thanked Leslie Kavanaugh, Patti Reinstein, and Kerstin Royce for the Childrens Outreach Science Program which is very important to the Friends. Thanks to the hard-working efforts of Patti, Kerstin, and […]