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Community and Educational Programming
at The Lands at Hillside Farms
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General Info
We all remember field trips as children to a local museum, a historic structure or a local farm. The Lands at Hillside Farms (TLHF) is elevating these excursions as an extension into the classroom, creating hands-on lessons and activities for learners of all ages. Students will be able to continue what they learned at the farm and apply it to their classroom activities (or vice-versa) and. Our children are our community's future; they are also an integral part of The Lands at Hillside Farms' success as a non-profit farm!
Some examples of existing (and future) programs include:
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Project KinderGARDEN
The Lands at Hillside Farms, PA Department of Agriculture, and Luzerne County school districts have joined forces to use funds made available from the Department of Agriculture's Healthy Farms/Healthy Schools initiative. Thirty-eight kindergarten classes in select districts will participate this year. These classes will be introduced to gardening and dairy farming, hands-on, at the farm and actually start a garden either at the farm or at their school. This program will expose our youngsters on healthy eating and proper nutrition. A Family Day in May will celebrate the successful completion of this program. |
Healthy Sprouts Program
Healthy Sprouts is a program for WIC-eligible families that introduces concepts of healthy eating, home gardening, energy efficiency, and cooking with fruits/vegetables. For 2008, the program will be open to 25 local families (kids are invited to participate) who will learn hands-on home gardening techniques that will increase their family's access to healthy eating, with the ultimate hope of reducing childhood obesity and increasing access to healthy foods.
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Community Service / Experiential Learning Opportunities
Many schools are beginning to understand that building effective community members into the future requires helping students to understand the importance of community involvement. The Lands at Hillside Farms is a great location for educational service work. There are many areas and ways in which they can meet their requirement at The Lands. In addition to that, many schools are taking advantage of the uniqueness of our 400-acres to implement hands-on learning experiences. Students from local schools are helping determine the impact the farm has on the water quality of Huntsville Creek, performing a nutritional survey of the pastures our cows graze on, assisting with the removal of non-native and invasive species, and other unique learning experiences. What innovative experiences can The Lands at Hillside Farms facilitate for your school/students?
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To learn more about these programs or to discuss how your school, group or child can participate in unique educational opportunities at The Lands at Hillside Farms, call 570-696-4500.
(Updated by Molly Carey 02/2008)
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