Island Grown Initiative has scheduled its first Summer Institute for Teachers, a three-day workshop for educators on the Vineyard interested in incorporating curriculum tied to farms and gardens into their classes.

The institute will run from August 11 to 13 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at a number of Island locations. Admission is free for Vineyard teachers, for whom professional development points will be available.

Among other activities, participants will develop project ideas on food and agriculture topics that promote service learning and link to the academic curriculum, receive a set of practical, engaging lesson plans generated during the workshop, and experience activities that teach about the benefits of locally grown food.

Deb Habib, founder and director of nonprofit educational farm Seeds of Solidarity in Orange, will lead two days of the institute. Seeds of Solidarity has established seven garden and greenhouse projects with schools in their region and runs a popular after-school program for teenagers. Farm educator Melinda DeFeo of the FARM Institute and Laurie Halt, curriculum coordinator at the superintendent’s office, will also lead sessions during the three-day workshop.

Spaces are limited. For more information or to reserve a place in the institute, please get in touch with Noli Taylor of Island Grown Initiative at 508-645-9557 or noli@islandgrown.org. More information is available at islandgrown.org.