The Seymour Osman Community Center is the family education and recreation center for residents of the Dover Housing Authority complex. The Center serves all the children and families of the DHA community with year round programs and activities for all ages.
Since 2001, we have provided four dedicated on site raised bed gardens with weekly summer educational programs for kids in all aspects of gardening.
The gardening program is an adjunct part of the summer camp run by the SOCC staff and America Corps volunteers. Kids choose to participate in the gardening program, and it is always well attended. This year we anticipate working with 15 children.
The children do not have space at their homes for individual gardens so we provide a variety of annuals for containers. The kids design their own miniature garden and care for them at home.
Our weekly on site lessons include talking about the parts of plants, composting, beneficial insects and other relevant topics. There is a kitchen at the Center, and our final day includes a harvest celebration which is always great fun.
With the financial backing of SCMGA and a core group of Master Gardeners who have participated for many years, Kathy T., Mary Lou C., Linda S., Genie R., Kerry R., and myself, we freely invest our time every week in educating the future gardeners of tomorrow.
Submitted by: Noreen G., MG since 2001
Strafford County Master Gardeners Association 
Thank you Noreen for keeping this wonderful Gardening Program going in our county.
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Wonderful program!
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Thank you for a happy story. As hokey as that sounds, I mean it!
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Great for kids and wonderful of adults to work with them.
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