Seeds of Inspiration and Plant a Seed

For the past 3 years we have had the privilege to help numerous schools and libraries inspire children through the wonderous works of nature. How have we done this? Two ways we do this is through the Seeds of Inspiration and the Plant a Seed–Read! programs. We are thrilled with the results from these two programs which are only made possible by the generous support of Natural Factors, Whole Earth & Sea, Assured Natural, Mind Publishing, their fabulous staff, and your continued support. We’ll take a closer look at each program and the stellar results we have seen thus far.

The Seeds of Inspiration Program

The Seeds of Inspiration program began with one idea in mind – that the simplest of learning experiences can inspire children for a lifetime. The wonder of planting a seed and getting to witness it grow into a thriving plant mesmerizes children and causes a sense of pride, accomplishment, and a feeling of importance. It is our commitment, through programs such as this, to create bountiful opportunities for children to experience the wonders of the natural world and to see the effect they have on the world around them.

The best place to start these experiences is right in the classroom! Our Seeds of Inspiration program provides schools with tools to help engage children in planting activities. The materials we provide include two storybooks and educational workbooks for two grade groups (K-1 and 2-3). These are available in both French and English. We also provide schools with organic non-GMO seeds so children can witness the growth of a plant.

This past school year we reached 20,000 students in 472 schools across Canada with this program. And the response has been phenomenal, here are some of the comments we have received from the teachers:

“The children are so excited to come into our classroom each day and see how their plants have changed! They feel like scientists! The books that accompanied the seeds are simply beautiful and have provided a spring board for meaningful conversations!”

– Jessica Shanks, Assiniboine Avenue, NB

“The workbook was colourful and the children enjoyed working in it. The books were beautiful and a good complement to our project. We planted many other things besides the bean seeds for a Jane Goodall Project and I hope that it will have inspired students to become gardeners. They are excited each day as they come in and look at their plants. They water them themselves and are looking forward to displaying them at our school’s Roots and Shoots Fair and then to taking them home. Thank you.”

– Bev Lynch, Westmount Charter School, AB

“We were happy to find out there were resources available to help students with their garden project which has been ongoing for the last two years. The Plant a Seed and See What Grows Foundation has provided us with kits for kindergarten to grade 3 students which included workbooks. This helped with various learning objectives, including being able to describe characteristics of different plants. Having these workbooks in a French version was also very helpful since the school is in a French community. Thank you to the Plant a Seed and See What Grows Foundation!”

– Mathieu Roy, École Communautaire Carrefour, NB

“I was very impressed with the resources that I received. Students comments: This was fun! Planting seeds is the best! I am going to take my bean plant home and put it in the garden so that I can get beans to eat from it later.”

– Diana Martinson, Tisdale Elementary School, SK

Our Seeds of Inspiration program for the school year 2017-2018 reached 20,000 students in 472 schools across Canada

students reached

schools across Canada

Plant A Seed–Read!

The Plant a Seed–Read! program provides, free-of-charge, preschool and primary grade educational materials inspired by two children’s storybooks written by Roland Gahler in French and English. This literacy program is offered to libraries and natural health product retailers.

The Plant a Seed – Read! program aims to reach toddlers, preschoolers and primary grade children through story telling in public libraries across Canada. This initiative is designed to help children fall in love with reading as well as plant seeds of inspiration into their young hearts and minds. We do this by providing complimentary lesson materials in either French or English. This includes organic non-GMO seeds, a themed-colouring book and pencils, and our two empowering storybooks – Plant a Seed & See What Grows and What to Do with What You Grew. After the initial reading experience, we encourage discussion of what is needed to successfully grow plants, where food comes from, and then a hands-on planting activity.

This past year we reached 580 children in 26 libraries across Canada with this program. And the response has been phenomenal, here are some of the comments we have received:

“It was a pleasure working with Plant a Seed & See What Grows Foundation. This book-based program is a perfect pairing for library programs. They provided us with high quality program materials, including colourful picture books, seed packets and activity booklets, all of which helped us bring families together to learn more about gardening and explore the seed-to-table cycle. Kids were drawn in by the readings and delighted to plant their own seeds to take home and watch grow.”

– Jessica Roy, Bibliothécaire Superviseure Program Development, ON

“Yes, I would recommend the program. It was a rewarding and informative program with make-and-take-home activity.”

– Beverly Ott-Peon, Norwich Public Library, ON

Our Plant a Seed-Read! program for the school year 2017-2018 reached 580 children in 26 libraries across Canada.

children reached

libraries across Canada

The success of these programs in each community across Canada brings joy to our hearts. Because of your kind support and donations, we are able to continue this work for the minds of tomorrow.

We would love to continue to grow these programs and expand our efforts, but we need your help. There are many ways you can get involved with the Plant a Seed & See What Grows Foundation – you can visit our Get Involved page, Help Fundraise, or Donate Now.