Resources:Partnerships
From Bulbs
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Forging community partnerships
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Turning “Me” into “We” with Community Partnerships
Often, in our enthusiasm to get that bulb planting in, or to get a new garden planted, we try to do too much. Many times in our eagerness to share a love of gardening with others, we jump ahead without advance planning. And yet, a broad base of ownership is vital to the long term health of a program. Imposing a program dulls the excitement of the project, even if the participants might really enjoy it in the long run. Without engaging many partners, you run the risk of having a project die on the vine before it comes into full fruit.
This is not to say that you should not begin if all the participants are not yet on board. Perhaps a key group has initiated the idea – a school classroom or club, or several 4-H members, for example. This initial group can begin putting out feelers to measure the enthusiasm and commitment of others. In a school, it might mean bringing up the idea of a garden at a PTA/PTO meeting, or with a group of youth in an after school program to see whether parents and youth are willing to volunteer their labor to make the dream a reality.
Simultaneously, a teacher might poll others at a faculty meeting to assess interest, and present a short talk on the benefits of engaging children, as well as how a garden can bring a curriculum to life, while meeting necessary learning standards. Speaking with the administrators and grounds staff early on is a must, and it doesn’t hurt to attend a board meeting to gain the passion of school board members.
Reaching out to partners in the community -- ranging from garden center employees to other not-for-profit agencies with special skills and talents -- deepens the community connections and brings a wide range of talent to the project. While a dedicated core group is necessary to coordinate all this contact and activity, with a little foresight and thought, it is not difficult to bring many partners into the process early on.
We have all been exposed to organizations with rigid hierarchies, where commands are dictated by a few in charge. This type of approach has no place in a grassroots gardening project! Although we cannot emphasize enough the importance of seeking approval from a director, principal, superintendent, coordinator, or other leader, it is imperative to make everyone welcome, and to find a role for any interested volunteer.
Most of the “common sense” solutions to daily questions will come from the folks in the trenches. Bring them on board early and keep an open mind regarding different approaches to getting the job done.
Planning checklist
Eager to get planting? If you’re doing more than a small bulb planting, here is a brief checklist of some items to consider. Have you:
- Included partners.
- Identified others to strengthen the project.
- Ensured that there is a demonstrated interest in the project.
- Secured necessary permissions.
- Identified a diverse core group of advisors.
- Ensured community representation among your advisors.
- Located an ideal garden site.
- Consulted resources to come up with a creative and flexible garden design for your program.
- Looked into accessibility issues for participants with special needs.
- Considered a solid approach to garden activities (weeding and watering do not constitute a thoughtful approach to gardening with children).
- Found storage space for supplies.
- Reduced the potential for vandalism by creating a powerful sense of ownership.
- Involved children in planning and design.
- Created a thoughtful plan for fundraising.
- Developed a plan for maintenance.
Doing to, Doing for, Doing With: Where are you at?
There are numerous approaches to implementing community projects. Here is one tactic familiar to many of us, but not exactly ideal: an agency feels that a gardening program is needed by the community, and goes ahead without community support. Essentially they do the gardening project to the community. This approach often has a top-down flavor.
One of the most common approaches arises from very well-meaning people: they perceive a need, so they do the gardening project for the community. But, without a broad base of support and involvement, these projects may fall by the wayside for lack of long-term support.
The best approach is to collaborate in each phase of the project, from planning, through design and implementation, with the audience that will be involved with the garden. Community members (whether children or adults) who are involved in each phase of the project are much more likely to feel committed over the long haul.
See also:
Tip
Use images of scanned bulb flowers from the digital 'collage' activity to create publicity posters or notecards to sell as fundraisers.
Interact
Share your ideas and experiences about forging community partnerships on our blog.
