School Seed Libraries
School seed libraries tend to be closed to the general public. Depending on the age of the students and available staffing, they may have limited hours in order to properly check out seeds. With older students, self-check out systems can be an option. Having an orientation video or process is helpful. Here is a short orientation video created by a student seed librarian at Hall Middle School, Larkspur, California, USA. (Here is the older version. of the orientation.) Check out our page on integrating seed saving into the curriculum.
The One Seed, One Community Program is a program where everyone grows the same plant from seed to seed and are provided educational information along the way. It is a great way to engage your community in the seed library at your school and learn how to save a seed together while building community. Here is a video that can be sent to parents about the One Seed, One Community (made by a 7th grade seed librarian!).
Refer to the Seed Library Map to find other schools that have seed libraries.
The One Seed, One Community Program is a program where everyone grows the same plant from seed to seed and are provided educational information along the way. It is a great way to engage your community in the seed library at your school and learn how to save a seed together while building community. Here is a video that can be sent to parents about the One Seed, One Community (made by a 7th grade seed librarian!).
Refer to the Seed Library Map to find other schools that have seed libraries.
Questions to consider 🤔
- Who will organize and run the seed library?
- Will the seed library be connected to a class, such as science or social studies?
- Where will you source your seeds?
- If you have a school garden, can you do a climate adaption project where students grow diverse mixes and select?
- Will parents or the community be able to access? Or will access to be limited to parents on special days when parents are on campus?
- Where is the best location for your seed library? Should it be in the front office or in the library or some other location?
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Seed libraries in schools can be organized by:
- school librarians - Parent Teacher Organizations - school garden coordinator - motivated teachers or staff members - student-led - Master Gardeners in coordination with a staff member |
After initially buying the seeds to grow, starting a school seed library can be contained to completely operating at the school, and all stages of the library can be used as a teaching resource.
The most important thing for starting a school seed library is creating responsibilities for each student so that everyone knows where to begin, and each student should get a chance to be involved in every aspect of the harvesting, cleaning, germinating, and replanting.
Saving seeds and learning to plant and propagate them in school environments provides students with a hands-on application of the science they are learning, regardless of grade.
The most important thing for starting a school seed library is creating responsibilities for each student so that everyone knows where to begin, and each student should get a chance to be involved in every aspect of the harvesting, cleaning, germinating, and replanting.
Saving seeds and learning to plant and propagate them in school environments provides students with a hands-on application of the science they are learning, regardless of grade.
Presentation by Rebecca Newburn, Founder of Richmond Grows Seed Lending Library, who is a middle school science teacher and Lexi Fickenscher, Handcraft Teacher and Seed Librarian, Montessori School of Denver, Denver CO, USA at the 11th Annual Seed Library Summit, 2022
Resources from Creating a School Library Session- 11th Seed Library Summit
- Seedfolks resources
- Bean breeding project (Website with Beefy Resilient Grex bean breeding. Stopped because irrigation system not functioning since 2019!)
- Corn breeding project (Website with corn breeding. Stopped because the school irrigation system has not functioned since 2019!)
Hall Middle School Seed Lending Library website
- Seedfolks resources
- Bean breeding project (Website with Beefy Resilient Grex bean breeding. Stopped because irrigation system not functioning since 2019!)
- Corn breeding project (Website with corn breeding. Stopped because the school irrigation system has not functioned since 2019!)
Hall Middle School Seed Lending Library website
Presentation by Lexi Fickenscher; Farm Manager, Montessori School of Denver, Denver CO, USA at the 10th Annual Seed Library Summit, April 17, 2021.
G.W. Carver Elementary School Native Seed Library
Richmond Hill, GA, USA
Seeds of Stewards website
This is a conversation between Kari Wilcher, Outdoor Educator at GW Carver Elementary, and Rebecca Newburn and Karina of the Seed Library Network. We recorded the conversation to review the resources later, but it ended up being such a wonderful conversation, we asked Kari if we could post it to share with the community. Here we link this conversation where Kari discusses helpful tips for schools who want to start seed libraries as education.
G.W. Carver Elementary School Native Seed Library
Richmond Hill, GA, USA
Seeds of Stewards website
This is a conversation between Kari Wilcher, Outdoor Educator at GW Carver Elementary, and Rebecca Newburn and Karina of the Seed Library Network. We recorded the conversation to review the resources later, but it ended up being such a wonderful conversation, we asked Kari if we could post it to share with the community. Here we link this conversation where Kari discusses helpful tips for schools who want to start seed libraries as education.
Community Created Resources
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Click on the "Community Tips & Resources" Airtable form to see resources from other school seed libraries and read tips about getting started.
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Do you have a resources from your school seed library that you would like to share with the community? Click on the Airtable form below to share your resources or any tips you have?
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