Schools in Bloom wants children to get their green thumbs dirty. This grassroots organization encourages students, teachers, principals and parents to envision their schoolyard as a grassy, leafy oasis instead of a concrete jungle.
"Children are tidying, planting and learning about the great outdoors through our Schools in Bloom program," says Shauna Dobbie, of Ontario Gardener.
The magazine and Scotts Canada are the founding partners of this not-for-profit enterprise, and are inviting schools from across the province to enter the friendly competition.
Top-placing schools not only earn bragging rights, but also win a prize package from CN Tower, including tickets to the attraction, and a student-decorated display at the base of the Tower for a year.
Civic pride
Schools in Bloom is an off-shoot of the popular Communities in Bloom, which began in 1995 and has grown to include more than 100 muncipalities across the country.
Both the Schools and Communities in Bloom programs foster civic pride and environmental awareness through the greening of public spaces.
The pint-sized version is open to all Ontario schools, from elementary to secondary, and the organization provides an easy-to-follow blueprint for getting started.
"It's a positive way to get youth involved in their community," adds Dobbie, who cites an OPP officer who heads up a program in small-town Ontario for at-risk youth in a high school.
There are many ways for schools to participate. "They don't necessarily have to plant a garden in order to qualify. We don't set out any requirements -- we don't want to lose the creativity and initiative," says organizer Dobbie. "It's about developing pride, and beautification."
