Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Garden Club of Lawrence, Zone III
1988 Founders Fund Winner
Founded in 1910, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is a 52 acre urban botanic garden in the heart of Brooklyn, NY that connects people to the world of plants, fostering delight and curiosity while inspiring an appreciation and sense of stewardship of the environment.
The 1988 Founders Fund Award was given to provide specially designed instruction greenhouse equipment for an educational greenhouse for the handicapped in the garden’s education center. The purpose of the project was to make a greenhouse classroom fully accessible for everyone no matter what their needs. The classroom was outfitted with hydraulic work tables, propagation benches and adaptable tools. The project goal was to make sure that all people may enjoy the same privileges and educational opportunities with or without disability.
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden provides learning opportunities for visitors of all ages. While originally intended to meet the needs of the disabled, this classroom and its specially designed equipment offer an even broader use. By being able to raise and lower the height, the hydraulic tables allow for differentiated instruction for adults and children as well as patrons in wheelchairs. The addition of specialized equipment allows experienced educators to work with both children and adults at all developmental and cognitive levels
