S'Cool Gardens

S'Cool Gardens

The Center for Sustainability at Santa Barbara City College, has partnered with the Orfalea Fund’s s’Cool Food Initiative to spearhead the s’Cool Gardens program.

Mission

To connect students to their food and their environment through school gardens.

Objectives

  • Develop gardens in all public schools throughout Santa Barbara County; and
  • Support educators in using the gardens to enhance the learning experience through the integration of the garden into their curriculum.

Throughout the 2009-2010 school year (Year 1),the s'Cool Gardens program will install and integrate gardens at the following 16 elementary schools:

Carpinteria Unified School District

  • Canalino
  • Aliso
  • Summerland
  • Carpinteria Family

Santa Barbara Unified School District

  • Monroe
  • Cleveland
  • Adams
  • Open Alternative School
  • Franklin
  • César Estrada Chávez Dual Language Immersion Charter

Lompoc Unified School District

  • La Honda
  • Arthur Hapgood
  • La Canada
  • Los Berros
  • Buena Vista

Guadalupe

  • Mary Buren

The Case For School Gardens

  • Gardens connect students to the food they eat and the environment they live in and encourage students to make healthy choices for their bodies and their world. Gardens foster community by connecting students, teachers, school staff, parents and volunteers.
  • Gardens bring education to life by providing a rich environment that can inspire students and allows for the integration of various disciplines.
  • Gardens provide the opportunity to teach responsibility, respect, and cooperation.

Visit us and add us as a friend:

Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/sCOOL-GARDENS/95358939249): This website is a networking homepage designed to update friends on current garden related news and updates on the s’Cool Gardens program.

Wetpaint Wiki page (http://scoolgardens.pbworks.com/): This website is a collaborative work space. Here, teachers working with s’Cool Gardens can create a network with other teachers in Santa Barbara County interested in garden-based curriculum. It is a tool to ask questions, and share successes and resources. The website features wikis, blogs, forums and social networks creating a rich, user-generated community around school gardens. If you are a participating Lead Teacher, follow the instructions on the website to sign up and join the teacher community. The content on the website is public information, available to everyone.