Youth Education
Local Education & Outreach
The role of our Local Education and Outreach team is to engage with and support our local community through exceptional programming that utilizes the unique resources of the Oak Spring Garden Foundation. With a primary focus on working with audiences who are historically underserved, our LEO team connects Oak Spring with K-12 students as well as retirees and other groups. We are proud to work closely with a series of local partners, including Fauquier, Loudoun, and surrounding counties.
The OSGF Local Education and Outreach Program’s goals are to:
Establish partnerships between Oak Spring Garden Foundation, local schools, and organizations that serve youth and populations of focus.
Improve student learning and engagement through hands-on experiences.
Provide experiential learning opportunities that foster positive impacts on students’ future success.
Provide educational opportunities that include the mission and values set forth by the Oak Spring Garden Foundation of supporting and inspiring fresh thinking and bold action on the history and future of plants, including the art and culture of plants, gardens, and landscapes.
Share the resources of Paul and Bunny Mellon.
Educate people of all ages how they can conserve and enjoy nature, why they should get involved, and the lasting impact their involvement has on the environment.
2026 OSGF Summer Plant Camp
Registration is now open for our annual summer plant camp! Camp registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis. A maximum of 20 children will be allowed to participate in the OSGF Summer Plant Camp, per week. Click the buttons below to register in English or Spanish.
Session 1 -June 8-12, 2026: Roots & Recipes
(Agriculture/Gardening/Culinary/Agriscience)
Where does your food come from? Learn how to cultivate fresh produce and prepare a farm-to-table meal at the Roots & Recipes camp at Oak Spring Garden Foundation, June 8-12, 2026.
Participants will learn what it takes to grow food sustainability during this camp. Campers will gain hands-on experience in the Biocultural Conservation Farm at OSGF, using tools, maintaining garden spaces, and harvesting fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers. They will learn to design a garden, direct seed, transplant seedlings, trellis, and other agricultural and gardening skills. Campers will create healthy, nutritious dishes using their harvested produce while learning about careers in both agriculture and the culinary fields. The Camp will conclude with a Roots to Recipes culinary lesson and meal with Chef Jason Neve, followed by a camper-curated and interactive OSGF Farmers Market.
Session 2-July 6-10, 2026: Botanical Creators
(Plants/Art/Culture/History/Arts & Crafts)
The Botanical Creators Camp at Oak Spring Garden Foundation takes place July 6-10, 2026. Campers will explore the connections between people and plants. Campers will discover how cultures around the world have used plants throughout history. They will immerse themselves in the beautiful Biocultural Garden and newly renovated Children’s Garden at OSGF. There, they will discover the many uses of plants, including dye plants for natural pigment and paint, fiber plants for making paper and textiles, medicinal plants for crafting self-care products, heirloom varieties of food crops, and florals for ornamental use. Campers will participate in project-based learning in areas such as heirloom gardening and floriculture. Plant-centered arts and crafts projects are endless at this unique camp! The Botanical Creators Camp will culminate with a Pizza and Palettes Party and Botanical Wonders Art Show.
Session 3 - July 20-24, 2026: Rokeby Explorers
(Conservation/Natural Resources/Ecology/Art & Science)
Join Rokeby the Fox at Oak Spring Garden Foundation as he explores the landscape during the Rokeby Explorers Camp, held July 20-24, 2026. Participants will engage in the great outdoors as they explore the amazing landscape, flora, and fauna at OSGF’s Rokeby Farm. Campers will investigate the natural world through science-based projects that enhance their naturalist skills. Active learning will include soil surveys, water-quality evaluations, identification of native plant and animal species, habitat investigations, natural resource conservation practices, and botany-related experiments. Outdoor games and nature art are part of this amazing camp experience. At the end of the week, Rokeby Explorers will participate in a farm-foraged pizza party, a nature walk & scavenger hunt!
Programs & Activities
Oak Spring Garden Foundation offers free programs for local public school students and youth/senior citizen organizations and clubs. Contact us to schedule your 2026-2027 programs beginning January 1, 2026. We also offer free youth and teen programs at our local Fauquier and Loudoun County Public Library locations. View the list below to see all of these upcoming opportunities.
Instructional Spaces
The Oak Spring Garden Foundation’s Local Education and Outreach (LEO) Team hosts youth programs in various instructional spaces on the property. These fantastic spaces include a glasshouse, a walled garden, a classroom, a granary, production fields, and a vast landscape.
Meet The Team
From left to right: Haley, Erica, (LEO Apprentices), Mika, Tricia (LEO Teaching Assistants), Ginger (LEO Education and Outreach Specialist), Jimena (LEO Teaching Assistant), and Caitlin (LEO Apprentice).
Other Resources
If you work for a local organization and would like to collaborate with our Local Education and Outreach team, you can reach our Education and Outreach Specialist, Ginger Anderson at gingeranderson at osgf.org.