Step 1: Meet with Principal or After-School Director
The first step to establishing a Rebel Gardeners project in a school is through contact with the Principal. Of course this meeting is different depending on whether you are a teacher at the school or a passionate undergraduate volunteer. This is the meeting where the logistics of the site are set up. Primarily -what grade and class will the students be recruited from? Depending on the goals and needs of the school, the students can be pulled out of different classes during a particular period of the school day or after-school. If an existing teacher wants to participate, the projet could be built into an already formed class. Rebel Gardeners projects also transcends age- so a group can be 3rd graders, 8th, or 11th, or even a combination of students from different age ranges. If you don’t already work in the school, also make sure the principal identifies a primary school-based point person for support when needed.
You should leave the meeting with the principal with the following:
- potential student participants and/or partner teacher
- project schedule (days, times the project takes place)
- location of project
- contact information for primary school point person
Step 2: Recruit Students
The initial recruitment for any project at a school is an application process. This involves delivering a short presentation to all potential participants (for example every 7th and 8th grade classrooms) explaining the responsibilities and expectations of the project, followed by the dissemination of a parent permission form and written application. Those students who return both documents enter an interview process. Although it won’t work for every project, once a core group of students is established the interviews can be peer-led. Although it’s a bit different for each project, in general a ratio of 4-6 students per adult is ideal.