On Oct. 19, Seed Your Future and Scholastic announced new additions to BLOOM!, an
initiative introduced in April 2018 to excite young people about the power of
plants and ensure horticulture — along with the millions who depend on it —
thrives well into the future.
BLOOM!
is an initiative of SeedYour Future, a coalition of more than 150 partners — including horticulture
companies, gardening organizations, schools, colleges, universities, public
gardens, youth organizations, nonprofit organizations and individual advocates
— united in their mission to promote horticulture and the diverse careers the
industry offers.
BLOOM! now includes expanded science and ELA lesson plans and activity
sheets, which support higher standards, and an exciting student contest to help
teachers, parents, and youth program leaders educate and inspire young people
about the power of plants and the rewarding and plentiful careers in the
green-collar world of horticulture. The student Plant-Mash Up! Contest runs
until Nov. 21, 2018 and challenges middle-schoolers to envision a new plant
that could benefit their community, country, or the world for a chance to win
credits to the Scholastic online store. All educator resources, contest rules
and entry forms can be found on the free educator microsite Scholastic.com/BLOOM.
The website WeAreBLOOM.org
serves as a digital hub for all BLOOM! activity and hosts a suite of
entertaining, educational resources to interest kids and the adults in their
lives. With fresh and inventive videos about real people and their green-collar
jobs, the initiative’s YouTube channel @WeAreBLOOM
is garnering praise from youth and adults alike.
“This campaign is all about opening young people’s eyes to the incredible
power and potential plants have to change the world,” said Susan E. Yoder,
executive director of Seed Your Future. “Showing students that plants and the
professionals who work with them are critical to the future of the planet is
key to ensuring a future that has people who know how to grow safe and
nutritious food, develop new life-saving medicines, create magical landscapes
and gardens that provide physical and mental health supports, and solve some of
our toughest issues such as pollution, clean water, drought, and climate
change.”
Horticulture — the art, science, technology and business of plants — touches
nearly every facet of life, but awareness of this important industry is at an
all-time low. Research shows that the average American can recognize 1,000
brand names and logos, but fewer than 10 local plants. "Plant-blindness"
(a lack of awareness of plants) is particularly significant among U.S. youth, a
majority of whom have never heard of the term "horticulture," and the
industry is experiencing the impact. Nearly 58,000 jobs in horticulture are
expected to become available annually for the next five years, but only 61
percent are expected to be filled. At the same time, higher education and
horticulture training programs are experiencing declining enrollment.
“Seed Your Future and Scholastic will continue to develop free resources for
teachers, parents and youth program leaders,” said Yoder. “Whether BLOOM!
introduces today's youth to a lifelong passion or a fulfilling career, one
thing is clear — the more we know about plants, the more we can make a difference
in the world today."
