First place vote-recipient and winner of a $3,000 grant
Lee College’s Horticulture Program at O. B. Ellis Unit, Huntsville, Texas
In 1977, Lee College established an educational/vocational Horticulture Program at the O.B. Ellis Unit correctional facility. This program offers an A.A.S. degree in Horticulture as well as certificates in Horticulture and Landscape Management. Students have additional opportunities through the Texas A&M Master Gardener’s Program. Located within the prison complex, the site includes individual gardens, a community garden, greenhouses, a nursery area, a parakeet aviary, aquaponics enclosure and a classroom/computer lab. The students in the program are convicted felons who come from diverse backgrounds that often include veterans, ex-gang members and others with a history of substance abuse and mental health or emotional issues.
Second Place Vote-Recipient, Winner of a $1,000 grant
Vogel Alcove – Early Childhood Education Program, Dallas, Texas
Vogel Alcove offers access to a therapeutic early childhood learning program to young children (216 served to date) affected by homelessness. The program addresses the developmental needs of children with delayed social-emotional, cognitive and physical development. Located in Dallas, Vogel Alcove is a leader in the field of early childhood education of traumatized children. Preschool children enjoy access to therapeutic gardens in “The Backyard,” an outdoor space that includes raised bed vegetable, sensory and wildlife gardens. All activities at Vogel Alcove are coordinated by a Director who has completed a certificate program in horticultural therapy and is a member of AHTA.
Third Place Vote-Recipient, Winner of a $1,000 Grant
The Alice and Herbert Sachs Therapeutic Conservatory and Garden, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania
The Alice and Herbert Sachs Therapeutic Conservatory and Garden is a dedicated space for MossRehab’s clinical horticultural therapy program. It offers patients recovering from traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, stroke, amputation and other complex conditions a beautiful oasis while also offering them an opportunity to meet their rehab goals through horticulture therapy. A registered horticultural therapist is trained in the use of horticulture as a modality for supporting an individual in physical rehabilitation. Patients are able to engage in horticultural therapy through group, individual and co-treat sessions with occupational, physical and speech therapists.
For more information
National Garden Bureau
Diane Blazek
Executive Director