Garden School Foundation Internship 

Hannah J., Fall 2023 

Hello! My name is Hannah and I’m a fourth-year environmental studies major pursuing a progressive degree in applied psychology. This semester, I’ve been interning with the Garden School Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to foster enriching relationships with the environment by teaching garden-based education to children at ten Los Angeles County elementary schools. 24th Street Elementary School is the head branch, with its learning space situated outdoors in a 1.5-acre garden. The classes consist of gardening and cooking lessons that leave children with greater understanding of the natural world and how to nourish their bodies with the food it provides, by incorporating themes of environmental stewardship, food justice, and nutrition.  

My responsibilities as an intern working with Garden Educator Laura Saenz (she’s awesome) have been versatile. I began my time by organizing a large seed cabinet but have since been tasked with a number of other projects, such as upkeeping of the garden, that evolved with the lessons. Some consistent duties have been to create visual teaching aids/other educational materials for the students, to make description signs/placards for the garden’s diverse collection of fruits and vegetables, and to head the arts & crafts activities of Community Garden Days. The most rewarding part of this internship has been being able to witness the students joyfully interact with, learn to coexist with, and fall in love with nature. 

The children planting seeds!