School gardens are a great way to teach children about nutrition and healthy food systems, but very few school incorporate their gardens into classroom curriculum. Students rarely get a chance to taste the fruits of their labor. Help us create free, online manuals to share garden-based curriculum and step-by-step guides to bring school garden produce into the cafeteria. Every donation will be matched by Jack Johnson's All At Once Campaign, doubling the impact of your gift!
Schools all over the country are taking the first step toward healthier eating habits by planting gardens. Yet once the gardens are planted, they are often neglected or underutilized. Teachers often find they don't have time to tend the garden when they need to focus on lessons and grading. Students miss out on the opportunity to grow their own fresh fruits and vegetables, to learn about nutrition and sustainable agriculture, and to taste the healthy food that they had a hand in growing.
"Gardens to Classrooms and Cafeterias" will create free, online guides to help schools make their gardens an integral part of the classroom and school food program. The guides will include curriculum that teachers can use to integrate the garden into their lesson plans and to turn the garden into an outdoor classroom. We will also show teachers and food service staff how to incorporate garden produce into cafeteria tastings and samplings, and even into the lunch line or school salad bar.
Well-nourished students have more energy, are able to focus for longer periods of time, and are better able to learn. Yet we can't expect kids to grab an apple over a Pop-Tart if they don't understand the consequences of their choice. By providing them with a hands-on opportunity to learn about healthy food through active and integrated garden programs, schools empower students to make better choices about what they eat. And your donation will be matched, doubling the impact of your gift!
