One goal for the Horticulture Center is to establish a children's garden that would not only serve a wide range of interdisciplinary educational benefits on campus, but also provide a special and unique educational venue to central Illinois. In an attempt to reach that goal, children's horticultural programming has been planned at the Center as part of the College for Youth program.
College for Youth is presented by the Illinois State Conference Services. In cooperation with the University, the operation uses the resources on campus to provide local children diverse educational experiences. The program offers many classes on a large spectrum of topics for preschoolers through ninth graders.
This summer’s class, Little Class on the Prairie, will focus on life on the prairie. Join us for a week of games, crafts, writing, reading and a prairie plants field trip. Spend your days with an ISU horticulturist and an elementary teacher. Experience a daily craft; such as tin lanterns and flower presses. Learn about flowers and plants in a prairie garden and write with a real quill pen that you make. Read and listen to pioneer stories. Enjoy games played by the pioneer children. Let’s even cook some pioneer camp food outside. This class will be an intense week of learning and lifelong skills. You will leave this week with new friends, crafts that you make, recipes and games to play, and an understanding and appreciation of life on the prairie.