Nourishing School Gardens

SHC partners with local schools to establish and operate garden programs that allow students to participate in all aspects of growing, harvesting, and preparing nutritious seasonal produce.

Our Goals
And Principles

The  goals for Nourishing School Gardens are to:
  • Increase nutrition awareness and education for teachers, parents and students
  • Link gardens, local food and ecological concepts with classroom education
  • Increase consumption of fresh local produce in school lunch programs
  • Engage kids in hands-on lessons that connect food, health and the environment

The more kids learn about food by actually participating in growing food, the more likely they are to make healthy eating choices.

The lessons they learn throughout the gardening process foster sound nutritional practices, responsible food choices, and environmental stewardship.

Students can also use the program as a vehicle for learning important academic curriculum, by linking gardening to studies in history, math, science and the humanities.

Start a Garden
At Your School

Successful garden programs can improve test scores, fight childhood obesity, promote physical activity, expose kids to healthy foods, change eating habits, and provide positive connections to nature.

And here's a look at what a garden program can do for a student's self-esteem, as told by Susan Fergussen, Principal of East Elementary School:

“Students and their families continued to maintain the garden during these past summer months. At the School’s Open House in September, the students made salsa and zucchini bread with the produce from their garden. They were so proud."

If you're interested in starting a garden program at your school, we'd love to help! Things to consider are finding a the location for the garden area that can be committed for sustainable use as a kids' garden, and how the program will be weaved into the academic curriculum.