Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc.’s Post

The number one reason most school gardens fail is... because most of them are built and maintained by parents. Or they heavily rely on parent volunteers. They are even sometimes planted by parents, which blows my mind! This rolls and responsibilities mess that we have when it comes to school gardens needs to end! Those very well-meaning parents need to simply BACK OFF! A school garden is an educational tool that needs to be utilized by the educators. School gardens are only sustainable and properly used for years, if and ONLY IF... - they are planted by the students - and planed and taught-in by the teachers - during school, while the garden is connected to their curriculum There are many reasons for this but these are the top two: 1) Anything parents do is a missed learning opportunity for the students 2) When parents get busy and can't commit their time anymore, or when their kids graduate or when they move to another school, that garden will be abandoned and becomes an eye sore! All that hard work... gone! All the hopes to make something out of this garden... gone! And there's one more school garden added to the list of the nay-sayers who believe school gardens don't work. Yes, parents can definately be involved! Their help is needed for fund-raising and for bringing their kids to water during summer. But that's about it. That's where their support and responsibility should end. Teachers should not expect parents to build them a school garden. And school administrators should not expect teachers to maintain a garden without the right tools and support. Go to Kidsgrowingcity.ca/Links and find the support you need to be successful at this. #righttool #besuccessful #naysayers #fundraising #schooladministrators #schooladministrator #thenaysayer #fund #schoolgarden #gardens #plantsofinstagram #schoolgardens #school #garden #parents #parent #schoolgarden #gardens #responsibility #learningopportunity #students #teachers #teacher #curriculum #education #plants

The number one reason most school gardens fail is... because most of them are built and maintained by parents. Or they heavily rely on parent volunteers. They are even sometimes planted by parents, which blows my mind! This rolls and responsibilities mess that we have when it comes to school gardens needs to end! Those very well-meaning parents need to simply BACK OFF! A school garden is an educational tool that needs to be utilized by the educators. School gardens are only sustainable and properly used for years, if and ONLY IF... - they are planted by the students - and planed and taught-in by the teachers - during school, while the garden is connected to their curriculum There are many reasons for this but these are the top two: 1) Anything parents do is a missed learning opportunity for the students 2) When parents get busy and can't commit their time anymore, or when their kids graduate or when they move to another school, that garden will be abandoned and becomes an eye sore! All that hard work... gone! All the hopes to make something out of this garden... gone! And there's one more school garden added to the list of the nay-sayers who believe school gardens don't work. Yes, parents can definately be involved! Their help is needed for fund-raising and for bringing their kids to water during summer. But that's about it. That's where their support and responsibility should end. Teachers should not expect parents to build them a school garden. And school administrators should not expect teachers to maintain a garden without the right tools and support. Go to Kidsgrowingcity.ca/Links and find the support you need to be successful at this. #righttool #besuccessful #naysayers #fundraising #schooladministrators #schooladministrator #thenaysayer #fund #schoolgarden #gardens #plantsofinstagram #schoolgardens #school #garden #parents #parent #schoolgarden #gardens #responsibility #learningopportunity #students #teachers #teacher #curriculum #education #plants

The American Public Gardens Association (APGA) is excited to launch two new membership levels this year! The Allied Membership and Student Membership. The Allied Membership welcomes non-garden, non-profit organizations to join the Association. APGA encourages nonprofit organizations that champion or work with public gardens to join to enhance the work of their organizations and staff members. Allied members who qualify must hold an IRS 501 (c)3 non-profit determination or equivalent non-US designation. Organizations defined as public gardens, botanical gardens, arboretums, or parks do not qualify for this membership. Regarding the Student Membership, college students must be enrolled as full- or part-time students in a compulsory or higher education system. They must provide an active college or university email address and provide current course registration. Students will need to requalify annually. Students also cannot be a full-time employee in the public garden industry. #APGABoston24 #APGAConference #APGA #PublicGarden #PublicGardens #GardenConference #AmericanPublicGardensAssociation #Boston #gardeneducation #gardentips #networking #greenindustry

Work experience and industry placements are invaluable in helping the next generation prepare for, and enter, working life. But we have found it incredibly challenging finding businesses that are willing to open their doors to students, particularly in the film and creative media industries. The reasons: -"We stopped the scheme during Covid and never reinstated it." -"We can't offer work experience because of insurance." -"We can't take under-18s." -And - the killer - "We don't have the time to show work experience kids how we work." As a student myself, I completed 4 different periods of work experience/industry placement and each was vital in helping me learn about the world of full-time employment, build confidence, and decide which area of the industry I wanted to work in. I can't stress enough how important it is to give students these opportunities. It's also a rewarding way to give something back, and support your CSR objectives. It doesn't even have to involve a huge amount of work on the host's part - simple shadowing can prove to be an incredibly valuable experience. So - this is huge thanks to everyone who's providing these golden opportunities. And an impassioned plea to more businesses to consider running work experience and industry placement schemes 🙏 . #workexperience #industryplacement

Fundraisers, it's time to call the Service-Learning office. From the back of the library, what I'm reading as a #Philanthropy PhD student. Research by 👑Lindsey McDougle, PhD, and HUAFANG LI👑 found that service-learning experiences (SLEs) in higher education significantly influence the formation of students' prosocial identities (= helps make them better people), with the type and form of service playing crucial roles in this process. (volunteering or charitable giving). Pre-existing prosocial identities determine how students engage with SLEs and the extent to which these identities are reinforced or newly adopted. Were the students volunteering and engaging in charitable giving in High School? The model suggests that aligning service-learning activities with students' prior identities and providing meaningful feedback can enhance long-term prosocial engagement ( = more likely to give and engage as an alumnus) 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠: By highlighting the positive outcomes of service-learning programs, such as increased student engagement and community impact, fundraisers can create compelling narratives and testimonials to attract and retain donors. I once closed a gift from a gentleman who volunteered with his local Habitat for Humanity International Board to support his collegiate chapter of Habitat. What great alignment! Aligning donor interests with specific SLE initiatives can foster deeper connections and long-term support for these transformative educational experiences. 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐬: 🟠 How can we identify and engage donors passionate about education, civic engagement, and community service and introduce our SL programs? 🟠 What stories and testimonials from students and community partners can we share to demonstrate the impact of service learning? Shout out to my amazing service-learning professor at Vanderbilt Peabody College, Dr. @Janet Eyler, and Tim Caboni for throwing us in the deep end with nonprofit clients as service-learning opportunities. McDougle, L. M., & Li, H. (2023). Service-Learning in Higher Education and Prosocial Identity Formation. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 52(3), 611-630. #BackoftheLibrary #Research #Philanthropy #ServiceLearning #HigherEducation #IdentityFormation #ARNOVA #Fundraising

Parents are being forced to cut back on hot school lunches and choose cheaper, less nutritious packed lunches, according to polling for the charity Chefs in Schools * 56% of parents are struggling to make ends * 1/3 are no longer able to afford hot school lunches * 41% are providing less nutritious packed lunches for children because of rising food prices I recently had the pleasure of speaking with senior staff at three schools in London who have made good food, prepared from scratch, a core part of the school culture and environment. The resulting profiles are on the Chefs In Schools website and linked to in the comments. As I parent to two primary age girls I find it heart-warming and inspirational how teachers are prepared to invest the time and effort - on top of all the other demands placed on them - to ensure kids get fed a freshly prepared, nutritious lunch irrespective of their circumstances From Nightingale Community Academy, which rears its own rare-breed livestock; to Woodmansterne School, which runs a community deli to help fund hot meals for students ineligible for free lunches; and Laurel Park, which is putting food at the heart of an ongoing transformation in the school’s culture and performance. These schools are doing great things of their own accord. Imagine what they could do with proper government support and funding. Please take 10 minutes to read the profiles if you can. These schools and teachers really are inspirational.

Today's countdown = 35 days. It's time to get your enrollment form in and start working on communications for your org or department! Get the toolkit here 👇 https://lnkd.in/edw8_Rum #GivingDayTraining #SRUGivingDay #GivingDay2024 #givingday

How does Scouting provide an edge? The Scouting Edge reveals that Scouting alumni report teaching their children about values and ethics at an earlier age than their peers, and Scouts report learning about values and ethics from their parents at an earlier age than their peers. Furthermore, alumni and Scouts express, in higher proportions than their counterparts, that voting in every election, volunteering time in the community, participating in youth-related organizations and taking an active part in charitable organizations are somewhat to extremely important traits in being a good citizen. Scouts and Scouting alumni are more likely than their counterparts to identify negative behaviors as being “mostly” or “absolutely” wrong, including tossing out trash while driving, not declaring income to the IRS, exaggerating education or experience on a resume, or smoking cigarettes or vaping. And there is a strong link between Scouting and religion, as alumni and Scouts are more likely than their counterparts to indicate a primary religion, and alumni report attending religious services more frequently. Check out the complete Harris Poll data and findings below. https://lnkd.in/gPqcgcTr

Our #ClassroomGardens program is about more than just planting seeds; it's about nurturing growth, curiosity, and a love for learning. Here's why your support matters: 1️⃣ Empowering Students: By donating to ONFE's Classroom Gardens, you're giving students the opportunity to engage in hands-on, experiential learning. Our gardens become living classrooms, where math, science, and sustainability concepts come to life. 🌍📐 2️⃣ Healthy Habits: We're fostering a love for fresh, nutritious foods from a young age. 🍅🥕 3️⃣ Community Building: The Classroom Gardens Program brings students, teachers, and local communities together. It strengthens bonds and instills a sense of pride in contributing to a greener future. 🤝🌿 4️⃣ Inspiring Passion: Your donation fuels passion. You're supporting a program that sparks curiosity and a lifelong understanding of healthy foods and gardening. 🌱💚 Join us in sowing the seeds of knowledge, health, and sustainability by visiting https://bit.ly/45LWP5k #ClassroomGardens #NurturingTheFuture #EcoEducation #GrowWithUs

🎓 Delve into our recent blog post and discover how the Institute for Humane Studies uses Dimensions data to help them 👉 foster collaborations 👉 build better partnerships 👉 and be strategic in grantmaking Click to read more about how Dimensions supports non-profits in strategic decision-making ⬇️ https://ow.ly/OnS850PVzE2 #NonProfits #AcademicResearch