We are excited to be honoring some of our community’s most dedicated growers and fresh food champions at our annual Garden Get Down.
This year’s School Garden Hero, Courtney Lamb, is a pre-K teacher at Heritage Early Childhood Center in Braddock, where she’s taught for 13 years. For the past three years, she’s helped lead the school’s garden, introducing preschoolers to the joys of growing food, exploring nature, and learning outside. We’re excited to recognize Courtney at this year’s Garden Get Down for her dedication to nurturing curiosity, confidence, and a love of nature in her students.
When Grow Pittsburgh renovated Heritage’s outdoor learning space in 2023, our School Garden Educator Brandy encouraged Courtney to get involved. She embraced the opportunity. Now, the garden is part of her classroom. During the school year, preschool students plant seeds, learn how plants grow, find out why insects matter in the garden, and cook with herbs and vegetables they helped grow.
“The most important lesson is the love of gardening,” Courtney said. “They learn to appreciate insects instead of just wanting to squish them. They see where food comes from, and they’re willing to try new foods that come from our garden. They have no problem getting their hands dirty, investigating, and seeing how a plant changes every day.”
Courtney loves watching children who insist they don’t like vegetables eagerly sample tomatoes, peas, and other fresh produce they’ve helped grow. More often than not, those kiddos discover that they actually do enjoy them.
Courtney believes that school gardens give children the opportunity to experience learning in a completely different way. Rather than simply reading about nature, students can see birds’ nests, look for worms, identify insects, and watch the seasons change for themselves.
She encourages other educators who want to bring gardening into their classrooms not to stress about knowing everything. “My biggest piece of advice would be not to be afraid to get dirty and not to be afraid to fail,” she said. “Every day is a different type of problem within the garden, and that’s okay. It’s part of learning. You’re learning right along with the kids.”
We are excited to honor Courtney Lamb as our School Gardens Hero at this year’s Garden Get Down for inspiring kids to explore, ask questions, and grow a love for nature. Come celebrate Courtney and the other honorees with us on September 22 from 6 to 9 at Grist House Craft Brewery.