In 1998, many notable leaders in the field of youth garden education joined AHS in creating a National Children & Youth Garden Symposium Advisory Panel. In support of AHS' mission to educate and inspire people of all ages to become successful and environmentally responsible gardeners by advancing the art and science of horticulture, the panel proposed the following plan to address the specific opportunities and needs of children and youth gardening: 

• To inspire children, youth and all persons involved in education, to create and use school, home, and public gardens as places of enrichment and delight for all who are young at heart.
• To promote an understanding of plants and the important roles they play in our daily lives.
• To encourage links and interactions among private and public gardens and teacher education programs that engage teachers in garden-based training.

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