Exciting news! BCAITC's 2021-2022 Planting a Promise program will be expanded to feature tulips in addition to daffodils! Schoolyards will showcase a sea of bright yellow daffodils and bold red tulips this school year (the Dutch Liberation 2020 Canadian Society has generously supported the addition of tulips to our program). These cheerful blooms will help spark joy in communities across BC during the COVID-19 pandemic! Plus, new Planting a Promise lesson plans will provide opportunities to build relationships with seniors in the community through growing and sharing flowers. The young and young-at-heart will benefit from Planting a Promise!

What It's All About

The Planting a Promise program provides valuable hands-on planting experiences for K-12 BC students! Planting a Promise involves a series of activities that takes place over several months. The activities begin in the classroom in September, where bulbs are examined, then planted in a designated garden area for a school. In the spring when the bulbs begin to sprout and bloom, the activities continue as the flowers are observed and measured while they grow. In late June, the flowers enter their dormant stage and are ready to start life all over again. The Planting a Promise program has curriculum connections where students learn about the processes and skills of Science, Life and Earth Sciences, as well as opportunities for Language Arts and Fine Arts.

How You Can Get Involved

BC K-12 classrooms can register August 23 to September 9, 2021 to participate in the 2021-2022 Planting a Promise program! Find registration details here. Space is available on a first-come-first-served basis.

In the fall, registered classrooms will receive a comprehensive Planting a Promise Kit! The kits are assembled and distributed by Van Noort Bulb to partner garden centres; teachers pick up their kits from their local garden centre at the end of September. The kits include a Planting a Promise handbook, 35 giant King Alfred daffodil bulbs, and 50 Liberation tulips. 5 of the bulbs will be used in the classroom to dissect, observe, and predict how the bulbs will grow.  The remaining 80 bulbs will be planted in the schoolyard.

Additional guidance, training, and support is available to teachers through BCAITC’s program staff.

Making an Impact

In 2020-2021, an incredible 458 classes (11,450 students) participated in Planting a Promise! Schools in urban, suburban, and even rural communities like 150 Mile House, Crofton, and New Hazelton were excited to be part of this program.  We anticipate almost 400 classrooms to participate in Planting a Promise dual bulb program this year!

Incredible Benefits 

Planting a Promise is one of BCAITC’s most popular programs. Below are just a few of the many reasons.  Planting a Promise:

1. Offers valuable agriculture education plus and opportunity to extend the learnings to other K-12 subject areas.
2.  Is an easy program for teachers to follow.
3. Provides an opportunity to get outside and enjoy opportunity to get outside and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine.
4. Offers a gardening experience that offers positive mental and physical health benefits.
5. Builds classroom cohesiveness and school well-being.
6. Increases students' self-esteem and social connections.
7. Builds a life-long love of nature.
8. Provides beautiful colour to the schoolyard, benefitting the entire school community.
9. Provides an opportunity for youth to connect with seniors and enjoy a gardening connection together.

Teachers Love It

Teachers tell us that they love the Planting a Promise program! Here are just a few of the positive comments from teachers:

 “AMAZING. This has been my first year with the program, and the students have been absolutely delighted watching them progress.” - Jacey Gibb, Lord Selkirk Elementary | Vancouver

“We love the daffodil program. Not only does it follow with the kindergarten curriculum, its hands on and students get to take pride in their school garden.” - Ellen Winthorpe, Lakeview Elementary | Quesnel

“This program brings learning to life. It is the highlight of our year and impacts our learning in all subject areas.” - Maria King, Queen Mary Elementary | Vancouver

“We are focussing on noticing the changes and drawing like a scientist with as many details as we can see.” - Melissa Affleck, c̓əsqənelə Elementary | Maple Ridge

Thank You 

Thank you to all of our partners for their helping to bring Planting a Promise to BC schools:  Alpine Garden Club of BC | Dutch Liberation 2020 Canadian Society | Van Noorts Bulb |  Art Knapp — Courtenay | Buckerfields — Abbotsford, Duncan, Nanaimo, Parksville, Saanich, Salmon Arm, W. Kelowna | Dykhof Nurseries & Florist | GardenWorks — Burnaby/Lougheed | GardenWorks — Mandeville | Grow & Gather | Hunters Garden Centre — Surrey, Vancouver | Phoenix Perennials | Sticks 'N Stones Nursery — Campbell River.

We appreciate all of our partners' support for Planting a Promise!