The American Horticultural Society is excited to share that the 33rd annual National Children & Youth Garden Symposium will be held in Hartford, CT from Tuesday, July 8 to Friday, July 11, 2025. The symposium will focus on “Science & History in Youth Gardening” and will be headquartered at the Connecticut Science Center. Read more on our NCYGS page. Full details and registration will become available in January. Mark your calendars now!
Annually, the National Children & Youth Garden Symposium brings together educators, landscape architects, designers, botanic garden staff, nonprofits, and more from across the nation. Their shared mission: engaging children with gardens and the natural world.
Since its inception, thousands of children’s gardens have sprung up worldwide, designed to cater to children’s unique play, exploration, and interaction needs. AHS takes pride in its role in this movement, having paved the way for countless initiatives. Today, the Society remains committed to advancing youth garden programming, building on past achievements while venturing into new realms of exploration.
Registration is open for our annual symposium for children and youth educators July 8th–11th on Chicago’s North Shore. AHS members receive a discount on registration. Please visit the NCYGS webpage and sign up to receive information about the upcoming symposium. Early bird rates end on May 10th.
Call for Sessions for the National Children & Youth Garden Symposium (NCYGS) is Now Open!
The American Horticultural Society, in collaboration with Chicago Botanic Garden, has issued a Call for Sessions for the annual National Children & Youth Garden Symposium (NCYGS) taking place on Chicago’s North Shore, July 8-11, 2024. Started over 30 years ago, NCYGS is an annual professional development conference for garden educators who want to help children develop social skills, enhance school curricula, bring families together, and create an awareness of the link between nature and our food, clothing and shelter.
Interested in leading a session at the conference? Review the session subject areas below, read the proposal guidelines, and submit your session proposals by Sunday, December 31, 2023. All submissions will be notified in January 2024. We encourage youth garden educators from across the fields to apply!
Session Subject Areas:
Sessions may be submitted in the following subject areas and may address more than one subject area:
Submit your session proposals by Sunday, December 31, 2023. For more information about the Symposium, contact Director of National Programs Courtney Allen at programs@ahsgardening.org or call (703) 768-5700 ext. 121. You can also join our email list to receive periodic updates about NCYGS.
The Junior Master Gardener Program and the American Horticultural Society honor engaging, inspiring works of plant, garden and ecology-themed children’s literature through the “Growing Good Kids – Excellence in Children’s Literature Awards” Program.
From growing strawberries to poetry for a greener world and mysterious neighborhood garden adventures, the 2023 awardees inspired our imaginations! Check out this year’s winners below, who were announced at the 2023 National Children & Youth Gardening Symposium in Knoxville, TN:
Rooftop Garden by Danna Smith
Illustrated by Pati Aguilera
(Barefoot Books)
Sun in My Tummy by Laura Alary
Illustrated by Andrea Blinick
(Pajama Press)
I Love Strawberries! By Shannon Anderson
Illustrated by Jaclyn Sinquett
(Feeding Minds Press)
Maybe You Might By Imogen Foxell
Illustrated by Anna Cunha
(Lantana)
The Garden Next Door by Collin Pine
Illustrated by Tiffany Everett
(River Horse Books)
Join Junior Master Gardener for their Virtual 2023 National Leader Training, February 21-22. This is a great opportunity for teachers, administrators, and program leaders to learn how to implement best practices, how to involve parents and students into programming, and how to build sustainability.
Keynote speakers:
To learn more about the JMG National Leader Training, visit www.jmgkids.us
JGM partners with AHS on the “Growing Good Kids – Excellence in Children’s Literature” award that honors best new children’s books about gardening and nature. Winners are announced at the AHS National Children & Youth Symposium. Learn more about the Growing Good Kids Book Awards.
Deadline to submit presentation proposals for the National Children & Youth Garden Symposium has been extended to Friday, January 13.
In partnership with University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture and UT Gardens, NCYGS 2023 will be held in Knoxville, July 12 – 15. NCYGS is the longest running national event where garden educators (pre-K through 12th) convene to learn about current trends in nature-based education and share resources, best practices, and inspiring stories with peers across the country.
Presentations should be adapted for a diverse audience of classroom teachers, “informal” educators from a variety of organizations, botanical gardens staff, landscape architects, program coordinators, and more. Sessions may be presented in either a lecture or workshop format. Additional guidelines and proposal writing tips can be found on our website, as well as last year’s sessions.
Notifications regarding the status of each proposal will be sent out in February, and selected presenters will receive a discounted rate to attend the Symposium.
We are excited to review your proposals! You are the frontline of gardening trends, challenges, solutions, research and best practices in youth education. Your participation shapes the future of gardening and its impact on the earth.
If you have just an idea, a question, or need any type of support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to education@ahsgardening.org.
Read more about NCYGS 2023 and submit your presentation proposal by January 13!
The American Horticultural Society, in collaboration with UT Gardens, Knoxville, has issued a Call for Sessions for the annual National Children & Youth Garden Symposium (NCYGS) taking place in Knoxville, Tennessee, July 12-15, 2023. NCYGS is an annual professional development conference for garden educators who inspire today’s youth to become tomorrow’s gardeners.
Interested in leading a session at the conference? We are accepting session proposals through January 6, 2023. These peer-led sessions will focus on thought-provoking topics, provide practical knowledge and skills, and appeal to a variety of experience levels and educational settings. Presenters will be informed by January 31 and will receive discounted registration to the Symposium.
For questions, please email education@ahsgardening.org with questions. Join our mailing list to receive periodic updates about the NCYGS.
Learn More and submit proposal
We are excited to announce that the AHS National Children & Youth Garden Symposium will be held in Knoxville, Tennessee, July 12-15, 2023! NCYGS is an annual professional development conference for garden educators who inspire today’s youth to become tomorrow’s gardeners. Registration and additional details will be available early next year.
FUN FACTS ABOUT KNOXVILLE:
The American Horticultural Society has issued a Call for Sessions for the annual National Children & Youth Garden Symposium (NCYGS) taking place in Santa Cruz, California from July 7-10, 2020. NCYGS is a national professional development event aimed at cultivating tomorrow’s gardeners by energizing, inspiring, and training today’s garden educators.
We’re looking for peer-led educational sessions that focus on relevant, thought-provoking topics, provide attendees with practical knowledge and skills, and appeal to attendees representing a variety of experience levels, educational settings, and youth audiences. Session presenters receive a discounted registration rate to attend the symposium.
Learn more and submit a session proposal by January 8, 2020.