Education > Youth Education


The Greening provides students and educators with the tools necessary to increase their environmental science skills, environmental exploration and provide quality, service-learning opportunities in order to create the next generation of environmental stewards.

TreeKeepers Kids

TreeKeepers Kids is a comprehensive school-based program that provides educators and students with the resources to strengthen youths' life science skills and environmental stewardship. In-school programming provides extensive workshops, curriculum and training to Detroit's educators, strengthening their science teaching skills, while providing students with opportunities to experience nature first-hand using the outdoors as their classroom laboratory. Out-of-school programming provides students with numerous opportunities to participate in after school clubs, and service learning projects designed to revitalize campuses, parks and neighborhoods.

Outdoor Classrooms

Every school that participates in The Greening's TreeKeepers Kids program designs and builds an outdoor classroom in its schoolyard. These outdoor classrooms take the form of native wildlife habitats, butterfly gardens, vegetable gardens, orchards and tree nurseries. They provide an outside laboratory for place-based education programs throughout Detroit.

Science Academy

The Greening will also continue to work closely with DPS to offer a summer science academy in every TKK school. This academy provides targeted curriculum and intense workshop to select students who struggle with science learning.

Lessons for Teachers

Feel free to download the lessons below provided in .PDF format

Adopt A School

Students throughout Detroit will plant thousands of trees as part of a project to revitalize school campuses and introduce students to the need to reforest our city and the important role trees play in our urban environment. In addition, The Greening will distribute 10,000 seed boxes to youth at schools and those attending festivals, fairs, and community events.

Camp Greening

Summer provides many Detroit youth with the opportunity to either be stuck inside watching television or outside exploring nature. Safety is a key concern for Detroit's children. Taking this into consideration, The Greening created Camp Greening to provide children with a place where they can experience the wonders of camp in a safe and friendly setting. From 2001-07, Camp Greening has reached 3211 children attending day care citywide. The Camp Greening program will be expanded over the next five-years to provide 5000 children from recreation centers, summer schools and day care centers an outdoor camp experience.

Food and Nutrition Programs

Over the next five years, 3,520 youth ages 3-18 will attend in and out of classroom sessions and workshops at The Greening's Romanowski Farm Park, a hub for curriculum development and teacher training, to gain a greater understanding of food, nutrition, and environmental/community stewardship. In addition, 310 Detroit teachers will receive training and/or access to training and curriculum necessary to integrate healthy eating and farming practices into general classroom studies.

Conferences and Awareness

In an effort to advocate for increased placed-based and service learning programming, The Greening's staff will serve as presenters yearly at North American Association for Environmental Educators (NAAEE) national and regional conferences, Promise of Place conference, Metro Detroit Science Teachers Association, Michigan Science Teachers Association and National Science Teachers Association conferences

The Greening will also continue its work to create a consortium of inner-city urban greening organizations that engage in similar programs and activities that can assist school districts citywide to strengthen their science programming.