by Share On Social!
School gardens are not new, according to researcher Suzanne Teghtmeyer. School gardening within the United States started as early as the 19th century and is still thriving today.
But how are school gardens growing and changing students’ health and education today?
Helping school gardens grow through network opportunities, online tools, and resources, is a new network called The Edible Schoolyard Project. Founded by Alice Walters, their mission is to create and build a national edible education curriculum that runs from pre-k education through high school. Thier efforts support a network of current school gardens with a map showing all the new school gardens growing around the nation and the world.
They also provide stories and resources like math and science gardening curriculums, teaching teachers how to have and implement what they call an edible education. Courses like, Edible Education 101 and resources from the Edible Schoolyard Academy present teachers, advocates, administrators, and the like to study the best practices on strategies that connect garden, kitchen, and academic lessons into the school curriculum and standards.
Latinos living in areas of food deserts are now being able to access healthy fresh foods from some school garden programs. In fact, a high school aquaponics project has helped bring fresh foods to at-risk high school students in Santa, Ana California. Programs for healthier foods in schools are growing across the nation, and are learning and sharing resources with each other in hopes to help future generations learn what healthy food choices are and where healthy foods come from.
By The Numbers
84
percent
of Latino parents support public funding for afterschool programs
