“How does your garden grow?” This question could be asked at each of Culver City’s five elementary schools this year as the Growing Great garden and nutrition program has added three more schools to the original two campuses. The program, which was piloted at El Rincon three years ago, is at various stages of development at each site throughout the District. El Rincon, Linwood E. Howe, and Farragut all have well established gardens. La Ballona and El Marino have space dedicated for their gardens, but have not established them yet.
For the first time in our nation’s history, our younger generation may have a shorter life span than their parents, due to poor diet and unhealthy food choices. It is vitally important to educate our students about nutrition and high quality fresh foods. To instill this knowledge in our children will help them make healthier food choices which will result in improved wellbeing.
The goals of this program are to inspire healthy eating and to teach students how food is grown using a unique, hands-on approach. There is a classroom component for students in third, fourth and fifth grades, taught by parents trained in the Growing Great program. Of equal importance, the students also work in the garden preparing the soil, planting, weeding, watering and harvesting crops. The culminating activity is to enjoy their bounty. Students and their families eat the vegetables and may even hold their own farmer’s market.
Imagine a schoolyard garden that students and faculty can show off with pride, not only because of its beauty, but because it enables a whole new set of learning experiences for students. A curriculum-based school garden could serve as a living laboratory and outdoor classroom for subjects across the curriculum right in our own CCUSD Elementary school yards. It will broaden science knowledge, sharpen math skills and spur literacy, and support lessons in geography, writing and social studies.
There are many challenges to getting this program up and running, including a lack of irrigation, the need to properly prepare the ground for planting, finding and training parent volunteers, and obtaining funding through grants. Each school has a dedicated plot of land reserved for their garden. Some plots are partially or fully planted, while others are still in need of preparation. Teachers, administrators, parents, and the Growing Great staff are working together to make school gardens a reality for all of our children.
The Culver City Education Foundation has made this program a major focus this year with plans to continue supporting classroom lessons and garden growth/instruction into the future. The Foundation has worked hand in hand with the Culver City Downtown Business Association in a partnership aimed at raising money for sustaining and building school gardens. We plan to hold two fundraisers a year in which the community has an opportunity to participate while supporting Culver City’s business community.
To volunteer with the garden program at any of the CCUSD elementary schools or to donate funds specifically for the Elementary Schools Garden Project, email Culver City Education Foundation trustee Barbara Brown at barbarabrown48@gmail.com.
