Sprouting Wings is a program for children sponsored by the South Carolina Botanical Garden. The program receives financial support from the Betsy M. Campbell Children's Gardening Fund.
Our program's purpose is to introduce kids to the world of nature and gardening. In the process, it is hoped that these kids will learn to love, respect and care for their natural world.
Along with Clemson University student volunteers, Sprouting Wings kids are involved in hands-on activities that will help them grow in knowledge, confidence and a love for living things.
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After-School Programs
Sprouting Wings conducts after-school programs with various local schools. Two days a week, Central Elementary students are brought to the Hanson Nature Learning Center at the South Carolina Botanical Garden for activities. They learn about plants and animals, plant their own garden and create related arts and crafts.
Sometimes the Sprouting Wings program goes to schools to involve students in activities on their own school grounds.
wings kids at the plant sale
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York Place
Each Thursday, Sprouting Wings goes on the road to York, SC to York Place Home for Children. This is an accredited residential treatment program for emotionally handicapped children sponsored by the Episcopal Church. Children as young as 6 and as old as young teenagers receive treatment in a caring, protective environment. At York Place, Sprouting Wings involves all of the children in gardening and nature activities. The children grow their own plants, take care of a vegetable garden, plant flowers around the grounds and maintain a nature trail.
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SC Department of Juvenile Justice
Sprouting Wings Behind the Fence
This past year we have begun to work with girls at Willow Lane School in Columbia to hellp these incarcerated girls improve their surroundings through gardening, while improving their feelings of self-worth and their view of life in general. Plans are in the works for continued efforts with this population, including a Fall Break trip with Community Service Scholars to help install landscapes and gardens. In the new year we will be going to DJJ on a regular basis to establish a regular Sprouting Wings program on site. |
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Other Programs: |
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CU Hort 472/672 Class
Each year the Sprouting Wings Coordinator teaches a course in Clemson University's Horticulture Department. Most recently the students in this class went to Fair-Oak Elementary School in Oconee County to teach horticulture lessons and help get a new greenhouse started. |
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Log Cabin Christmas
The Sprouting Wings children, Clemson University student volunteers and volunteers from teh Foothills Garden Club celebrate Christmas in teh Hunt Family Cabin in the SC Botanical Garden. SW kids learned to make natural holiday decorations and learned how families lived and celebrated in the 1800's. It was a very successful 2-day event and everyone involved agreed that it sould become an annual event. |
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The Peter Rabbit Garden
In order to give children in Sprouting Wings a place of their own to garden, the Peter Rabbit Garden was begun with the help of contributions from the Master Gardeners of the Foothills. The fence and house are almost complete. Murals are planned to be painted in the spring and the house is now covered with wood shingles to give it a cottage appearance and feel. |
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The Family Literacy Center
Sprouting Wings helped the Family Literacy Center in Pendleton start a vegetable garden and flower garden. The new garden was planted and will be tended by the adult education students and their children. Hopefully we can continue this program into the future. |
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