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Brooklyn Botanic Garden 2006 Annual Report
Family Programs
The Children's Garden, our longest-running program, continues to serve children ages 3 through 13, giving them direct experience in preparing soil, planting, tending, weeding, and of course, harvesting. Tool safety and maintenance, plant crafts, and cooking projects round out the curriculum. In the past year, 532 children enrolled in sessions that are held summer, fall, winter, and spring. The Summer Science Adventures program serves as an afternoon extension for some of the participants. This program was filled to capacity again this year, with 129 children using BBG's collections to explore science topics and plants from cultures around the world.
BBG's Children's Garden has been tended by more than 30,000 youngsters since it opened in 1914. It has served as a prototype for children's gardens throughout the world and received the American Public Garden Association's award for Program Excellence.
The Garden Apprentice Program (GAP), launched in 2004, completed its second year. GAP provides student interns in grades 8 through 12 with opportunities for personal growth and career development. The four-level program includes job training and increasing levels of responsibility in volunteer or paid placements that focus on the various functions at a public garden or other nonprofit agency. Fifty-two interns participated for the full year, including 14 who comprised the Garden Corps. This newest tier of the program provides GAP interns with work experience in horticulture, environmental education, science, and a variety of other fields. Staff members from many BBG departments serve as mentors to GAP interns, sharing their professional expertise. Interns with more experience assist instructors with lessons in the Children's Garden or help train and supervise younger interns.
Nearly 8,000 children and family members enjoyed drop-in Discovery Workshops this year. The themed workshops are free with Garden admission, do not require registration, and are designed for families and young children. Activities encourage hands-on exploration of plants and botanical materials; children typically make something to take home. The workshops enhance the popularity of the ten-year-old Discovery Garden, a fun-filled space at BBG where young kids and their parents or caregivers can experience a living collection of plants. Brightly colored leaves and flowers, delightful textures and smells, and small spaces that inspire imaginative exploration define this child-friendly garden within the Garden.