Now, more than ever, research highlights the needs for nature and gardens for improving physical, mental, and nutritional health of children. Additionally, the garden is an excellent outdoor space for integrated learning in an applied, hands-on way that kids LOVE! Learn more about the Junior Master Gardener program and other resources that utilize the garden to creatively teach STEAM, stimulate reading and writing, develop leadership in children, cultivate working together and community service, and build an environment to encourage inquiry-based learning for children. You will leave this session knowing how to get a JMG program started in your community, locate resources and materials to assist you in using the garden as a teaching tool, and examples of utilizing outdoor spaces to cultivate fun learning and stress relief for children.
Lisa Whittlesey is a program director with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in horticulture from Texas A&M University. She leads the International Junior Master Gardener (JMG) program, which operates in all 50 states and internationally through collaborations with organizations like the Borlaug Institute and JMG Korea. Lisa has co-authored nine award-winning youth environmental curricula and has been featured in over 280 media outlets, including Southern Living, Better Homes and Gardens, Reader’s Digest, and HGTV. She has spoken at over 300 regional and national conferences and plays a key role in a USDA-funded project using JMG as an intervention for childhood obesity prevention. Her work has earned numerous awards, including the Texas A&M Vice Chancellor’s Award, the National Priester Award, and the National Excellence in Extension Award. She also leads horticulture programming for federal contracts with the Federal Bureau of Prisons and Lee College. Internationally, Lisa has managed grant projects in Mexico, Guatemala, South Korea, East Timor, and Kyrgyzstan. She is a guest lecturer at Texas A&M and contributes to educational videos, Texas Gardener magazine, and CBS affiliate KBTX’s Weekend Gardener segment. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, floral design, cooking, music, and traveling with her family. She is married to Randel Whittlesey and has two grown children.
