Columbine Gardening Program
Growing Knowledge, One Seed at a Time
Columbine Elementary PTA is proud to sponsor the Garden to Table program, bringing hands-on gardening and nutrition education directly into our classrooms and school grounds. Through this partnership with Garden to Table, our students learn where their food comes from, develop healthy eating habits, and gain valuable life skills through the joy of growing their own fruits and vegetables.
How It Works
The Garden to Table program combines classroom instruction with outdoor gardening experiences. Garden to Table’s trained educators visit Columbine regularly to teach age-appropriate lessons that connect students to the natural world and help them understand the journey from seed to plate. Students get their hands dirty planting, tending, and harvesting crops throughout the growing season, while learning about plant lifecycles, soil health, beneficial insects, and the importance of fresh, locally-grown food.
The Columbine PTA funds the complete curriculum and sponsored the construction of our school garden, making this enriching experience possible for every student at no cost to families. Launched in spring 2025, the program has already served students during both the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years, with classes rotating through the garden to plant seasonal crops, maintain the beds, and celebrate the harvest together.
Why It Matters
Garden to Table’s research-backed approach helps students develop positive relationships with vegetables, increases their willingness to try new foods, and fosters environmental stewardship. Beyond nutrition education, the program builds science skills, encourages teamwork, and creates memorable outdoor learning experiences that students carry with them for years to come. The PTA is committed to continuing this program because we believe that every child deserves the opportunity to discover the magic of growing their own food.
Our Greenhouse
From greenhouse–garden-to-table.html:
In March of 2014, after five years of PTA fundraising and planning, Columbine built a 33’ geodesic “Growing Dome” greenhouse to complement our in-ground garden program and serve as a year-round growing and learning center for our students. The greenhouse is a perfect addition to the traditional Garden to Table Program since the primary growing season in this region is largely outside of the regular school year. The greenhouse enables students to partake in growing their own food throughout the school year and provides an excellent hands-on learning center for science, math, and language arts.
The program has been a huge success at Columbine, with students, teachers, parents and school administrators expressing joy and excitement about participating in the program. Our Garden to Table Salad Day with the Spring harvests from our garden and our Fall Harvest Event have become anticipated school traditions.
From greenhouse-and-garden-to-table-description.html:
The Growing Dome greenhouse also provides an excellent “outdoor classroom” that teachers can use to teach many subjects, including protection of the environment – water conservation, benefits of organic gardening and non-chemical pest management, and the greenhouse provides a perfect way to introduce the concept of the greenhouse effect and global warming.
Learn more
- Greenhouse and Garden to Table brochure (PDF) — the lessons in our school garden and growing dome.
- Greenhouse and Garden to Table presentation (PowerPoint)
Email the PTA at columbineptaboulder@gmail.com.
