The Pinkerton Family Youth Program
Lakewold Leadership
With generous funding from the Pinkerton family in early 2013, Lakewold is realizing a long-held dream of establishing a Youth Program, to serve children and their families throughout the South Sound. In June, 2014, we kicked off the program with monthly workshops focusing on the wonders of the natural world. Our annual Community Kids Day, held the third Saturday of September, draws hundreds of children and their families for a day of fun activities with a variety of community organizations, and a chance to explore the gardens in a festive atmosphere. We recently added youth tours to our slate of touring options, with visits from students and Scouting groups.
Green Thumb Explorers
Green Thumb Explorers is a program designed to engage and inspire children, offering a variety of topics relevant to today’s world. From seeds, soil and harvest to garden wildlife, from preservation and protection of the environment to a deeper understanding of nature, each Saturday workshop offers a unique opportunity to learn, explore Lakewold, and work in the Children’s Garden.
2018 is a year of growth and expansion for our Youth Program. With gardens and yards becoming a rare thing in the life of our young people, the topics this program explores are becoming even more important! We are in the process of redesigning our Green Thumbs Explorer program to be more accessible to the youth in our comminuty. Please check back in spring for more information on the future of Green Thumbs!
As the Youth Program develops, we look forward to engaging program speakers and volunteers who bring their enthusiasm and knowledge to our big, bright classroom and into the gardens where kids have played, explored and roamed for nearly 100 years. Lakewold feels a deep commitment to engage future generations of gardeners by offering a safe and unique venue in which to experience the beauty and fun that gardening brings to our lives.