Comments on: Behind the White House Photo Ops, School Gardens Desperate for Help http://dcfoodforall.com/2010/02/behind-the-white-house-photo-opps-school-gardens-desperate-for-help/ A Wholesome Community Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:10:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Rachel Pringle http://dcfoodforall.com/2010/02/behind-the-white-house-photo-opps-school-gardens-desperate-for-help/comment-page-1/#comment-1842 Rachel Pringle Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:58:36 +0000 http://dcfoodforall.com/?p=517#comment-1842 This is a great piece! We know well the difficulties of sustaining a school garden here in San Francisco. The organization that I work for, The San Francisco Green Schoolyard Alliance (www.sfgreenschools.org)is a support network for the over 65 school gardens and green schoolyards in SF Unified School District. Some of our schools have a garden coordinator, often funded by parent associations, but some schools have a parent volunteer or the teachers run it. What we've found is that it is very important that the garden is used to teach content standards and that school administrations are much more likely to support it if so. You are absolutely right, though, that teachers are extremely busy and often do not have training in how to use an outdoor classroom or garden. We've developed a series that trains teachers how to be observers, naturalists, ecologists, and horticulturalists in a manner that relates to the school garden context -all in the effort to familiarize teachers with this setting and diffuse any trepidation they have about not being a "gardener," as it's really about so much more. My co-worker and I, Arden Bucklin-Sporer, have written a book on school gardens coming out this spring through Timber Press called: How to Grow a School Garden, A Complete Guide for Parents and Teachers. It's really about community building and organizing than anything else. We hope to have addressed many of the issues you mention in your article. Thanks for this and good luck with all your endeavors! Rachel Pringle San Francisco Green Schoolyard Alliance & Occidental Arts & Ecology Center, School Garden Teacher Training Program www.oaec.org This is a great piece! We know well the difficulties of sustaining a school garden here in San Francisco. The organization that I work for, The San Francisco Green Schoolyard Alliance (www.sfgreenschools.org)is a support network for the over 65 school gardens and green schoolyards in SF Unified School District. Some of our schools have a garden coordinator, often funded by parent associations, but some schools have a parent volunteer or the teachers run it. What we’ve found is that it is very important that the garden is used to teach content standards and that school administrations are much more likely to support it if so. You are absolutely right, though, that teachers are extremely busy and often do not have training in how to use an outdoor classroom or garden. We’ve developed a series that trains teachers how to be observers, naturalists, ecologists, and horticulturalists in a manner that relates to the school garden context -all in the effort to familiarize teachers with this setting and diffuse any trepidation they have about not being a “gardener,” as it’s really about so much more.

My co-worker and I, Arden Bucklin-Sporer, have written a book on school gardens coming out this spring through Timber Press called: How to Grow a School Garden, A Complete Guide for Parents and Teachers. It’s really about community building and organizing than anything else. We hope to have addressed many of the issues you mention in your article.

Thanks for this and good luck with all your endeavors!
Rachel Pringle
San Francisco Green Schoolyard Alliance
&
Occidental Arts & Ecology Center, School Garden Teacher Training Program
http://www.oaec.org

]]> By: Mike http://dcfoodforall.com/2010/02/behind-the-white-house-photo-opps-school-gardens-desperate-for-help/comment-page-1/#comment-1762 Mike Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:24:16 +0000 http://dcfoodforall.com/?p=517#comment-1762 I completely agree! Children need to know dirt and figure out how their food is made. Schools need a budget for this. At my school in Santa Cruz, California while growing up we had two huge functioning gardens at school that we maintained. I learned so much more from playing in the dirt and planting seeds then I ever did from an hour long math lesson. I completely agree! Children need to know dirt and figure out how their food is made. Schools need a budget for this. At my school in Santa Cruz, California while growing up we had two huge functioning gardens at school that we maintained. I learned so much more from playing in the dirt and planting seeds then I ever did from an hour long math lesson.

]]> By: Rahim Samuel http://dcfoodforall.com/2010/02/behind-the-white-house-photo-opps-school-gardens-desperate-for-help/comment-page-1/#comment-1760 Rahim Samuel Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:02:10 +0000 http://dcfoodforall.com/?p=517#comment-1760 I think it's a wonderful concept to have gardens in schools. This would not only further nutritional education, it would also act as a great after school activity to participate in. I hope that this concept can catch on here in Atlanta, GA. Rahim Samuel Publisher, Wellnessbymanymeans.com I think it’s a wonderful concept to have gardens in schools. This would not only further nutritional education, it would also act as a great after school activity to participate in. I hope that this concept can catch on here in Atlanta, GA.

Rahim Samuel
Publisher, Wellnessbymanymeans.com

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