Designed for
- Horticulture programs
- Psychology departments
- Student-wellbeing teams
- Human ecology
- Sustainability offices
- Campus and teaching gardens
Example program format
University Therapeutic Horticulture Pilot
A focused pilot gives a university a practical way to explore therapeutic horticulture within an existing academic, garden, or student-wellbeing setting.
How a pilot develops
Plan, prepare, pilot, and review.
A clear four-step sequence keeps the first program focused and useful.
- 01
Plan
Agree on the audience, purpose, setting, and practical limits.
- 02
Prepare
Create the activities, materials, schedule, and facilitator guidance.
- 03
Pilot
Run a small, consistent program and observe what participants and staff need.
- 04
Review
Gather feedback and decide what to continue, change, or stop.
Possible length
- Six to eight weeks
- One academic module
- A shorter pilot following a guest lecture or seminar
This is an example educational program format, not a completed client project or a clinical treatment plan.
Download the pilot one-sheetPossible components
- Initial faculty and staff conversation
- Program concept
- Session or curriculum plans
- Initial facilitated sessions
- Participant feedback
- Staff or facilitator preparation
- Final recommendations
Possible outputs
- Pilot brief
- Learning goals
- Activity plans
- Facilitator notes
- Garden-use recommendations
- Basic evaluation plan
- Next-step report
A practical perspective
People, plants, place, and program
These elements help a university shape a pilot around its own community and setting.
People
People define whom the program serves.
Plants
Plants offer purposeful activity, observation, care, and direct participation.
Place
Place shapes what is culturally, climatically, and practically appropriate.
Program
A clear plan connects people, plants, and place.
Nonclinical evaluation
Learn whether the pilot is useful and realistic.
A standard pilot can gather practical information without making medical or diagnostic claims.
- Attendance
- Participation
- Completion
- Satisfaction
- Perceived usefulness
- Activity suitability
- Facilitator readiness
- Garden usability
- Institutional feasibility
- Interest in continuing
Clinical and diagnostic outcomes are not part of the standard pilot evaluation.
A focused first step
Discuss a University Pilot
Share the academic setting, people, and outdoor space you have in mind.