School Gardens: Building Inclusive Learning Spaces Through Participatory Design

Child Trends, a NCSI Consortium partner, promotes the well-being of children and youth through applied research that informs public policy. In this post, they share insights, examples, and resources on designing school gardens, with particular attention to student engagement practices that create outdoor learning environments accessible to all.

Research shows positive relationships between school gardens and student health, social-emotional well-being, and academic engagement. For school infrastructure professionals — the facilities directors, landscape architects, and operations managers responsible for school grounds — these benefits present both an opportunity and a challenge. How can districts design garden spaces that are safe, accessible, maintainable, and educationally effective? 

The answer lies in applying sound design principles and engaging students as partners in the planning process. While day-to-day garden maintenance typically falls to school staff, volunteers, or garden coordinators, infrastructure professionals lay the foundation for long-term success by creating spaces that are safe, accessible, and designed with maintenance needs in mind.

School garden design requires an understanding of both landscape design and instructional design, and how the two can be braided together. Designers need to think about what will ensure the garden can serve both its intended agricultural function (e.g., cultivation of plants and, in some cases, raising of animals such as chickens, food safety, etc.) and its instructional function (e.g., STEM education, health and nutrition, social and emotional education). Both of these aspects should aim to foster student interest and engagement. 

Key considerations for school garden design include:

• Location. Gardens are more likely to be integrated within school programming when they are located in spaces that connect naturally to classroom instruction—visible from classrooms, accessible from cafeterias, or adjacent to outdoor learning spaces. Additionally, depending on the garden type, it can be helpful to ensure all-weather access for delivery vehicles.
• Water. School gardens are easier to care for when adequate water sources for irrigation systems and/or hand watering are nearby. Rain barrel collection systems are often utilized for school gardens, but make sure to monitor for harmful bacteria and contaminants that can build up in these systems, as they are unsuitable for use on edible crops. It is also important to account for expected water runoff from nearby areas into the garden to avoid soil contamination, especially if it is an edible garden. 
• Soil. Most school district guidance requires soil testing for contaminants, even if the garden will not be edible. Raised beds (which can be filled with clean, fresh soil) are a common way to ensure that the soil is free from contaminants.
• Shade. Because school gardens are intended to be cultivated by students, it is important for school infrastructure professionals to consider sources of shade to prevent students from becoming overexposed to the sun or overheating. Of course, the need for shade must be balanced with the plants’ need for sunlight. This is where the strategic placement of trees and or other structures to provide filtered shade can be incorporated.
• Space. When planning school gardens, prioritize designs with flexible spaces that can accommodate different educational approaches and group sizes. Strategic placement of seating and worktables throughout the garden can create rest areas and alternative workspaces. 
• Health and safety. A foundational responsibility of schools and school districts is to ensure the health and safety of those who use school gardens. Key design elements to promote health and safety include: a) handwashing stations positioned strategically throughout the garden to facilitate easy and frequent use, b) weather-resistant electrical outlets, c) secure, weatherproof storage for tools, seeds, and educational materials, and d) appropriate fencing that provides security without creating cumbersome barriers in student movement and/or access to adjacent areas.

Students as Design Partners

Participatory design strategies that engage a range of partners — including students — are critically important to school garden planning. When the design process is inclusive of learners with diverse needs and the adults who support them, it ensures that all students will benefit from the school garden.

Making school gardens accessible for all students

For children with special needs, time spent in natural settings can offer a sense of liberation from their challenges. Universal Design for Learning principles can help practitioners design curriculum that provides every student with the supports they need for educational participation and achievement. Following these principles enhances the potential for a school garden to meet the instructional needs of all students. Landscape architecture-based universal design principles can also help ensure that the outdoor physical environment is accessible to everyone. Some basic elements include:

• Hard surfaces. Materials like compacted decomposed granite or permeable pavers provide stability and drainage while avoiding navigation challenges created by loose gravel or wood chips.
• Wide pathways. Wide, firm pathways and ramps can accommodate mobility devices while remaining comfortable for all users.
• Raised beds. Raised bed systems serve dual accessibility purposes: they bring soil to comfortable working heights for students using wheelchairs while allowing gardens to be positioned on solid surfaces that meet accessibility standards. Design beds at multiple heights — some accessible from seated positions at 24-30 inches, others at standing height for different age groups and abilities.
• Inclusive planning. Engage students with accessibility needs and their families in the garden design. Special education and related services personnel in the school district can also offer guidance to ensure that all students benefit from the garden.

Designing Multi-Functional School Gardens that Support Learning and Well-Being

At Manzo Elementary School in Tucson, Arizona, a long-standing school garden program demonstrates how outdoor spaces can be designed as multi-functional learning environments. 

As one of the first schools in the Tucson Unified School District to implement a garden program, Manzo now serves as a flagship site with integrated features including an agro-voltaic garden, aquaponics systems, a greenhouse, vegetable plots, and a native Sonoran desert garden.

Students engage with these spaces through hands-on, curriculum-connected activities such as ecological experiments, plant cultivation, and routine garden maintenance. For example, in the agro-voltaic garden, students investigate how plants grow under solar panels compared to full sun, collecting and analyzing data as part of their science learning. In the aquaponic beds, students grow herbs such as spearmint, chocolate basil, and Chinese water spinach, which are often sold to local restaurants, providing an important source of revenue for the gardens. 

These spaces foster curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, build a sense of pride and ownership among students, and support meaningful connections to nature as well as partnerships with local businesses.

Learn more about this project.

Garden Design with Accessibility in Mind

In a transformative partnership with ISTUDIO Architects, Tubman Elementary School in Washington, D.C., converted a neglected courtyard into an award-winning outdoor classroom and garden. The pilot program, supported by the Office of the State Superintendent for Education, engaged city officials, school staff, parents, and students in a collaborative design process that prioritized accessibility and inclusive learning spaces.

The design approach centered on creating an environment where all students could engage with nature and enhance their STEM education. Key accessible design features included strategically built ramps; raised garden beds designed for wheelchair accessibility and child-friendly reach; flexible outdoor classroom spaces that provide sensory respite; and stable, firm pathways. 

By prioritizing inclusive design, the project transformed an underutilized space into a dynamic learning environment that supports diverse student needs and promotes collaborative exploration.

Learn more about this project.

Engaging Students and Educators in Garden Design

Fourth-grade students and their teachers at Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary in Santa Cruz, California, developed a design solution to improve their school garden through an innovative engineering unit focused on developing pea plant trellises. 

The eight-lesson curriculum exemplifies student-centered design, empowering learners to move beyond passive learning and become active problem-solvers addressing a genuine garden need: how to provide an optimal growing environment for the school garden’s pea plants.

Students generated their own research questions about what sort of structures would work best, created initial designs, conducted systematic tests, and iteratively improved their solutions. Through this process, they explored scientific concepts, developed critical engineering skills, and gained a sense of pride in creating meaningful infrastructure. 

The approach demonstrated how school gardens can become dynamic learning environments, transforming students from passive recipients into genuine partners who design functional, innovative solutions that directly benefit their school community.

Learn more about this project.

The resources listed below offer practical guidance for designing and maintaining effective, inclusive school gardens. Explore NCSI’s library for more school garden resources.

Resources from National Organizations

KidsGardening Accessible School Garden Design Guide 

This resource provides specialized guidance for creating inclusive and accessible school garden spaces. The toolkit offers detailed strategies, design considerations, and practical recommendations for developing garden environments that support learning for students of all abilities, emphasizing universal design principles and adaptive gardening techniques.

Green Schoolyards America: School Gardens

This resource hub provides extensive guidance for transforming school landscapes into dynamic, sustainable learning environments. It offers in-depth strategies for designing, implementing, and maintaining school gardens that support ecological education, student wellness, and community engagement through innovative schoolyard redesign approaches. 

School Garden Support Organization Network Resource Hub 

This resource hub provides support for school garden programs, offering networking, professional development, and strategic guidance for educators, administrators, and community partners. The website offers access to resources, including toolkits, case studies, and webinars, that synthesize best practices, research-based strategies, and collaborative approaches to developing sustainable, educational garden initiatives across diverse school settings.

The GREEN (Garden Resources, Education, and Environment Nexus) Tool

The GREEN Tool, comprised of a Map illustrating how and when to operationalize the 19 components needed to establish, integrate, and sustain a school garden and a Scorecard with questions on a 3-point scale to assess progress on the 19 components. Used together, the Map and Scorecard can help school garden leaders develop and sustain a garden that is well-integrated into the school.

Resources from State and Local Education Agencies

Chicago Public Schools School Garden Toolkit 

This toolkit provides detailed strategies for developing, implementing, and maintaining school garden programs within an urban educational context. It offers practical tips and guidance for site selection, planting, harvesting, and composting; suggestions for student and community engagement; and links to curricula that support meaningful garden-based learning experiences and student engagement. 

Denver Public Schools School Garden Coalition Manual 

This manual offers guidance for establishing and sustaining school garden programs across educational settings. It includes guiding principles, reflective questions to support planning, and considerations for each stage of garden creation. The manual emphasizes budgeting, long-term sustainability, student and community engagement, and safety, helping schools create well-planned and enduring garden programs. 

District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent School Garden Guide 

This guide provides recommendations for establishing a new school garden program, maintaining an existing school garden program, and using the school garden for instruction.  It is intended for a broad audience including teachers, school administrators, community-based organization staff, community members, and parents. 

Washington State Department of Agriculture School Gardens and Farm-Based Education

This resource hub offers access to toolkits, guides, and sample policies for establishing and maintaining school gardens, including garden-to-cafeteria programs. It provides general start-up guidance; sustainability and management strategies; and information on school garden-focused teacher trainings offered through various organizations.