the california "garden in every school" story

The California "Garden in Every School" Story

Rose Hayden-SmithFood and Society Policy FellowUniversity of California, Agriculture and Natural ResourcesUpdated 5/2008

Acknowledgements

The creation of this presentation would not have been possible without the assistance of Ann Evans, Delaine Eastin, Daniel Desmond, and the California Department of Education, Nutrition Services Division.

This version of the presentation was presented at the Society of Nutrition Educators National Meeting, August 2007, in Chicago, IL

Restrictions

Use of this presentation, or parts thereof, is expressly prohibited without permission of the author. For permission to use portions of this presentation, please contact the author at rmhaydensmith@ucdavis.edu

A Big State

A Big State

Home to about 36 million people Slightly younger population than national

average Number of public schools: 9,223 Number of students enrolled: 6,298,774

A Big State

Ag is big, too: CA has been the nation's top agricultural state in cash receipts every year since 1948 – and this is an important part of the dynamic behind the school gardening movement

Big Challenges

About one in three children and one in four teens in California is estimated to be overweight (2007 CA Childhood Obesity Conference)

Ag land is disappearing at a rapid rate Children don’t know where their food comes from Children don’t always have access to healthy food

Big Ideas

Develop public policy that encourages instructional gardens in public schools and improves pupil nutrition

Leadership– Bi-partisan, legislative, agency

Public-private partnerships

School Garden Policy in California

Assembly Bill 1535 (AB 1535) primary topic today AB 1535 institutionalizes school gardens as

instructional tools and a way to improve pupil nutrition

AB 1535 is the culmination of ongoing efforts; built on earlier success

AB 1535 is optional and encouraged, not mandated (i.e., soft legislation)

Assembly Bill 1535

Target Audience: All public schools in California (grades K-12)

Coordinated by the California Department of Education, Nutrition Services Division

Funded by the State of California Many collaborators to advocate for program

and provide support to school gardening efforts (public-private partnership)

Assembly Bill 1535

Passed by CA legislature Fall 2006 Provides $15M to CA public schools for

instructional gardens Non-competitive grants Funding 2007-09 (3 years) $2500 <1000 students; $5000>1000

students Money can be used in a variety of ways

Philosophies

“You have to bring them along with you.” One size doesn’t fit all.

Precursors

California Junior Gardener Program United States School Garden Army Environmental movement School ag programs CA’s Strong farm-to-school movement

(Berkeley, Davis, Ventura, Santa Monica, etc.)

Precursors: A Garden in Every School Initiative

Gardening conference in Bay Area in 1993 California School Garden Initiative 1994 through

California Department of Education (CDE Nutrition Services Division): Delaine Eastin

Tools developed to support the initiative Has evolved and changed over time from an initiative

and movement to a funded piece of soft legislation: AB 1535

Garden in Every School Initiative

Purpose: Create opportunities for schools to provide dynamic environments that support student mastery of educational standards. Students who participate in school garden projects also discover fresh food and make healthier food choices, and develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for the environment, the community, and each other.

CDE Tools to Support Efforts

Free packet of garden start-up information Funded garden-enhanced nutrition projects

through mini-grants Some training provided to school staff Previously created regional resource center

network to provide support for teachers

CDE Tools to Support Efforts

Support for development and/or publication of educational materials related to school gardens.

– “A Child’s Garden of Standards” – link to core academic subjects

– “Nutrition to Grow On” – nutrition education– “Growing Healthy Kids” – literature and standards-based

nutrition education – “Kids Cook Farm Fresh Food!” – ecology and stewardship –

developed with a grant from Alice Waters…unlike other food books – developed palates

Impacts of Initiative (pre-AB 1535)

Really caught the imagination and took hold – a lot of energy surrounding this

Led to innovative models, larger-themed and multi-issue programs such as farm-to-school, etc.

Provided a model for AB 1535: visible impacts, networks of relationships (public-private), synergy

Response was there: more than 1/3 of schools participated

Impacts of Initiative (pre-AB 1535)

1995: Estimated that 1,000 of the approximately 8,000 public schools in CA had school gardens

2003: Estimated that about 3,000 of the approximately 9,100 public schools had school gardens

Heavily weighted to school gardens in K-6 Partnerships developed among agencies with

aligned purposes

Some Philosophies/Practices Developed

Meet people where they are Didn’t try to overcome resistance, work where people

wanted to participate Time was well spent with early adopters; some

fence-sitters saw the models developed there and got on board

Policy makers came on board later in the process Gardens easy to start in K-6, and much effort was

placed there

Timeline

1993 – Bay Area Garden Conference 1994 – Garden in Every School Initiative 2005 – California School Garden Network 2006 – AB 1535 Signed (September) 2007 – AB 1535 grants due; funds roll out

(April, Fall 2007)

Assembly Bill 1535: Early Info

$10.8M of $15M available money requested in first funding cycle

44% of funds requested for equipment 36% requested for supplies (including plants

and educational resources) 19% requested for professional development Only .76% in indirect costs

Assembly Bill 1535: Early Info

3,827 sites awarded funds (3,827/9,727)– 52% of eligible agencies, i.e., County Offices of

Education, School Districts, Direct Charter Schools (771/1500)

– 39.3% of eligible sites applied (consistent with initiative participation)

3,327 Sites at $2500 500 sites at $5000

Assembly Bill 1535: Early Info

Participation varied by region (groups of counties)…but not significantly– Highest: 65% Region 1 (Del Norte, Humboldt,

Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma)– Lowest: 24% Region 10 (Inland Empire – Inyo,

Mono, Riverside, San Bernardino)– Los Angeles County: 41.7% of sites applied

(823/1975)

Assembly Bill 1535: Early Info

Nearly 50% of the funding will flow to Central and Southern California

$2.6M alone to Los Angeles County (24% of total funding)

Assembly Bill 1535: Early Info

Total number of elementary school classes potentially served: 14,258

Total number of middle/junior high level classes potentially served: 3,125

Total number of high school level classes potentially served: 2,326

Assembly Bill 1535: Early Info

Grants will support:– Development of new gardens (2179)– Sustained use of existing gardens (1622)– Expansion of existing garden (1383)– Revitalization of garden not currently in use (927)

Assembly Bill 1535: Early Info

Gardens will be used for instruction during:– Academic class time (2607)– After-school program (2470)– Lunch/Recess (1979)– Before school program (453)

Assembly Bill 1535: Early Info

Gardens will be used to teach fourteen subjects, ranging from science to music and foreign language

Gardens will grow vegetables, flowers, herbs, native plants, fruits, wildlife habitat, nuts

Potential Challenges

Supporting need created (training/prof development) – how are we going to do it?

Assessing impacts Encouraging implementation of plans, i.e.,

helping recipients utilize funds and deliver Sustaining public-private partnerships that

provide underlying structure

CA Resources to Support AB 1535

Leadership: Current Superintendent of Schools STRONGLY supports school gardens, as does Secretary of Ag, First Lady, Assembly Speaker

Leadership: CDE Growing interest in sustainable food systems, school

salad bars, cafeteria reform, organics, school wellness, etc., aligns with AB 1535

New models!!! California School Garden Network (CSGN) www.csgn.org

California School Garden Network

The California School Garden Network is a collaborative effort of a number of educational institutions, non-profit organizations, private and government partners committed to enhancing learning through the use of teaching gardens in schools and other community settings.

California School Garden Network

Gardening with children has the potential to improve academic performance, increase ecological literacy, and improve dietary habits of children.

California School Garden Network

CSGN's website is the most comprehensive collection of resources to support school gardening in California. In addition CSGN's publications and partner organizations provide a wealth of resources to create and sustain school gardens in California.

California School Garden Network

Western Growers has provided funding– Nation’s leading ag trade association– CA/AZ growers– 3,000 members grow, pack and ship 90 percent

of the fresh vegetables and nearly 70 percent of the fresh fruit and nuts grown in Arizona and California, about one-half of the nation’s fresh produce.

Summary

AB 1535 early returns indicate an enormous interest and success; this is worth replicating

“Soft” legislation – encourages voluntary participation

Precursors laid foundation Public-private partnership instrumental Timing was right to fund the program

Summary

Issues have grown more complex (childhood obesity, food security, nature deficit, considering gardening within larger food system, etc.)

Still great needs Opportunities with AB 1535 to expand more fully into

service for middle and high-school aged youth Need to encourage home and community gardening

to supplement school opportunities and create a truly sustainable food system

Summary

AB 1535 ends in 2009 – need to create a permanent funding stream

Some impacts will take time to play out and assess

In some ways, a leap of faith – sheer magnitude of program, flexibility, speed of roll out, etc.

Summary

AB 1535 is a remarkable piece of legislation It is model legislation that should be

replicated across the nation Yet…it amounts to only about $2.50 per

student Do we need to have higher expectations? How would those translate to public policy?

Resources

CSGN www.csgn.org California Foundation for Agriculture in the

Classroom http://www.cfaitc.org Junior Master Gardener Program

www.jmgkids.us LifeLab http://www.lifelab.org National Gardening Association

http://www.kidsgardening.com