Joint School-Community Gardens: Effects on Health, Schools, and the Community

5. Joint School-Community Gardens: Effects on Health, Schools, and the Community Elizabeth Dallman, University of California, San Diego, Urban Studies and Planning Program BACKGROUND & SIGNIFICANCE: Today, emphasis has been placed on the power of gardens as an integrated learning tool that contributes to the fight against global warming, obesity and other leading causes of death. Research has also shown that garden based learning has the ability to improve the health and well being of the individuals who participate while also strengthening students’ bond to their school, and empowering the community as a whole. REASEARCH METHODS:  Participant observation  Questionnaire completed by students on learning style and vegetable preferences  Survey of teachers and community members on goals and expectations  Survey of UCSD students and Montgomery students after a garden work day CASE STUDY: Joint School-Community garden Pilot Project at Montgomery Middle School in Linda Vista, San Diego RESEARCH QUESTION: What are the motivations and benefits of the joint school-community garden at Montgomery Middle School? FINDINGS COMMUNITY Overwhelming support from the community as well as board members has made this pilot project possible. Allowing community members to participate in their youth’s education lets them share their knowledge and creates a greater sense of community at the same time. After a community work day in the garden, participants reported learning about the importance of community building through gardening and its positive effects on the community. HEALTH School-community gardens educate on the importance of eating a healthy, nutritional diet and provide access to healthy foods. Holding class in the garden promotes physical activity among students and gives them the opportunity to incorporate healthy snacks from the garden into their diet. SCHOOL The school-community garden at Montgomery provides opportunities for teachers to teach many different topics through project based learning and for students to learn in a new environment. While the garden environment may be challenging for larger class sizes, staff training days and Garden Lab Assistants help to make class time in the garden a smoother and effective way of teaching. The graphs below show the preferences of students from two classrooms at Montgomery. ‘ “Community gardens foster friendships and sustainable communities.” - anonymous student UCSD students, Montgomery students, and parents come together for a garden workday “I learned that these sites allow the community to have fresh vegetables/fruit and have a place to come together.” - anonymous student Physical Activity CONCLUSIONS School-Community Gardens have the potential to promote behaviors that can lead to healthier lifestyles, to provide a teaching space that addresses the various learning styles and interests of the students, and to empower community members to be a part of their youth’s education. While there are some risks and constraints, the health benefits, possibilities for school reform, and the potential for community empowerment make the school-community garden an important component that should be considered by all schools. This study provides an example of one school-community garden project’s success in an attempt to get other communities more excited about school-garden projects and their potential to benefit the students, the school, and the community as a whole. I would like to acknowledge EmalynLeppard and Montgomery Middle School as well as Janice Pezzoli and Bayside Community Center for their support and guidance through out my research. 15 March 2012

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