Growing Your Instructional School Garden

1. Growing Your Instructional School Garden Presented by Tonya Mandl, Teacher Advisor and School Garden Coordinator LAUSD Nutrition Network tonya.mandl@lausd.net (818)609-2552

2. "School gardens can be a vehicle for teaching standards-based science, mathematics, social science, and English-language arts courses, as well as garden-enhanced nutrition, health, agricultural, and visual art education. School gardens reinforce healthy food choices and lifestyles in an experiential learning environment. Instructional school gardens can nourish students' bodies and minds and also help students develop a better appreciation for sustaining the environment, maintaining our food supply, and prompting stewardship of our earth.” -California Superintendent of Schools, Jack O’Connell School Gardens have been proven to “increase interest in eating fruits and vegetables and improve attitude toward vegetables and toward fruit and vegetable snacks” -Gardens for Learning If they grow it, they eat it! -Nonnie Korten

3. Gardens CAN grow within Nutrition Network Schools • Allowable Garden-based Nutrition Education Support • Where to Look for Supplemental Garden Support

4. The Nutrition Network can provide: • Garden-based Nutrition Education Professional Development workshops for Teachers • Garden-based Nutrition Education workshops for Parents • Garden-based Nutrition Education Instructional Materials(books/newsletters) • Site visits to provide Garden-based Nutrition Education support

5. Scope of Work • Each year hold at least one to three “Saturday in the Nutrition Garden” workshops to provide garden-enhanced NE strategies at demonstration gardens for approximately 150 teachers, parents, students, partners and community members. • Each year support at least 100 schools through garden based NE to provide target population with opportunities to use fruits, vegetables, herbs and edible flowers in school gardens and use them for sampling and tasting and cooking in the classroom activities. • Make site visits throughout the year to help facilitate the integration of NE and gardening activities. • Produce and make available an educational newsletter to program participants to help facilitate the integration of NE and gardening activities.

6. Garden-based Nutrition Education Professional Development workshops at school sites (“Nibbles”) - “Ready, Set, Grow”Garden-based Nutrition Education strategies with easy-to-grow, easy-to-eat vegetables - “Nutrition in a Three Sisters Garden”Integrating Nutrition, Horticulture and Environmental Stewardship with traditional Native American planting. - “From Seeds to Soil to Salads”Garden-based Nutrition Education make-and-take activities for the classroom Saturday in the Nutrition Garden workshops for teachers and parents at the demonstration garden - Nutrition and classroom cooking with Nutrition Specialists - Garden-based Nutrition Education with Teacher Advisors - Growing with children strategies with volunteer Master Gardeners - Parent involvement strategies with Parent Outreach Consultant LAUSD Examples

7. Some Recommended Garden-based Nutrition Education Resources • CDE Garden in Every School publications: -A Child’s Garden of Standards Free - Nutrition to Grow On - Kids Cook Farm Fresh Food - School Garden Resource Packet Free • National Gardening Association: -10 Terrific Vegetables and Everything you Need to Grow and Know them • California School Garden Network: -Gardens for LearningFree

8. PARTNERSHIPS The BACKBONE of a successful garden program

9. Scope of Work • Each year assist with the distribution of approximately 1,000 flats of donated fruit, vegetable and herb seedlings through partnerships with at least 100 participating schools. • Establish and continue to maintain and develop partnerships with garden-based organizations, such as the NGA, the CSGN, the UCCE CG, the LASGC, Urban Farming, and others to assist with NE strategies at eligible schools. • Each year collaborate with the California Instructional School Gardens Program to provide PD and support for garden-based NE in eligible schools.

10. National Support Groups • The National Gardening Association www.kidsgardening.org • The American Community Gardening Association www.communitygarden.org • Junior Master Gardener Program www.jmgkids.us • Universities -Cornell University Garden Mosaics: www.gardenmosaics.cornell.edu and Garden-based learning: www.hort.cornell.edu/gbl -Texas A&M Nutrition in the Garden: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/nutrition/index -UC Santa Cruz Life Lab Program: www.lifelab.org

11. State-wide Support Groups • The California School Garden Network www.CSGN.org • California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom www.cfaitc.org • CREEC Network www.creec.org • California Integrated Waste Management Board www.ciwmb.ca.gov

12. The California Instructional School Garden Program • The Instructional School Garden Program (Assembly Bill 1535) allocates, this school year, $15 million for the promotion, creation and support of California instructional school gardens. • Two types of grants are available: 1) school garden equipment and supplies grants; and/or 2) school garden professional development grants. Each grant is for up to $2,500 per school site for school sites of less than 1,000 students enrolled. Schools with an enrollment of 1000 or more students will be eligible for funding up to $5,000. School districts, State Board charter schools or county offices of education may apply for grants on behalf of school sites. • The California Department of Education (CDE) is administering the California Instructional School Garden Program's grants. Grants are available this school year, and funds may be used by school sites for the duration of the grant period through spring semester 2009. School districts, State Board charter schools and county offices of education will apply, on behalf of school sites, through an electronic application to the CDE.

13. The “LAUSD Instructional School Garden Program” A partnership with the LAUSD Nutrition Network • 524 Participating Schools • 100% of LAUSD Nutrition Network Schools • are participating!

14. Local Support Groups • University of California Cooperative Extension, Common Ground Master Gardener Program http://celosangeles.ucdavis.edu/Common_Ground_Garden_Program/ • Los Angeles Conservation Corps www.lacorps.org • City of Los Angles Environmental Affairs Department, Gardens for Kids, LA Program www.lacity.org/ead/ • Los Angeles Department of Public Works Bureau of Sanitation (Mulch) 818-834-5128 • Los Angeles Urban Systemic Program (LAUSP) 213-241-5300 • Descanso Gardens Harvest Garden www.descansogardens.org • The Huntington Library and Gardens www.huntington.org

15. The Los Angeles School Garden Collaborative LASGC

16. The Los Angeles School Garden Collaborative (LASGC)Mission: To educate children by building and sustaining school gardens throughout the greater Los Angeles area. To this aim, we will: • Form a collaborative that will enhance what the various support programs and people in the Los Angeles area have to offer. • Establish a collective of schools with gardens in the Los Angeles area including charter schools, early education centers and special education centers. • Establish a relationship with school districts to build support for garden maintenance, landscaping, irrigation and tools, and to educate site administrators in the benefits of school instructional gardens. • Encourage financial support from the State of California for school garden staff, after school programs, and garden curriculum with direct connection to the state standards. • Recruit corporate and foundation involvement for school gardens in the form of grants and donations. • Increase the availability of garden-based workshops offered to teachers and volunteers. • Support educational gardening programs at schools that provide job training for students such as ROP and FFA programs. • Recruit people and organizations of diverse backgrounds and experiences to enhance variety and interest in school gardens.

17. Come to the next LASGC meeting! Wednesday, May 23rd 3:30 - 5:30 Venice HS Learning Garden 13000 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles

18. Tonya MandlTeacher Advisor & School Garden CoordinatorLAUSD Nutrition Network(818) 609-2552Tonya.Mandl@lausd.net