Dear School Garden Advocate,
With the generous support of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), The HEAL Project has developed the San Mateo County School Garden Handbook. The handbook, an extension of our acclaimed 28-week school garden program, is free of charge to educators. To obtain a copy, visit our website and download it today.
Here's what you'll find inside The San Mateo County School Garden Handbook:
- Expert Insights: Access a wealth of tips and guidance on how to establish, maintain, and fund an inclusive school garden program.
- Lesson Plans: Ignite your students' passion with 28 meticulously crafted school garden lessons aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), designed to kindle scientific curiosity.
- Garden Tips and School Garden-Friendly Plants: Unearth gardening advice tailored to the unique microclimates of the Bay Area, along with a comprehensive list of crops cherished by students.
- Sustainability Strategies: Discover ways to make your garden aesthetically pleasing and eco-friendly, nurturing our planet in the process.
- Healthy Recipes: Enjoy a variety of healthy, kid-friendly garden recipes that will inspire both you and your students to savor the fruits of your labor.
The HEAL Project germinated in 2001 from the shared concerns of local parents and community members regarding children's growing disconnection from the food that sustains them. Fast forward twenty-two years, and The HEAL Project now serves over 3,500 students in San Mateo County each year, providing enriching hands-on outdoor learning experiences. Our initiatives aim to spark children's innate curiosity while nurturing environmental consciousness in the next generation.
Our programs, delivered on school premises, within classrooms, and at the San Mateo County School Farm, offer comprehensive lessons on health, the environment, and agriculture. As our programs have flourished, we envisioned a way to extend our approach to more schools. With this handbook we have distilled over 20 years of school garden expertise into a resource to empower outdoor educators to start or enhance their own local programs.
Thank you for being a part of the school garden community and for your dedication to creating a greener, brighter future for our students.
Warm regards from your friends at The HEAL Project,
Emily Cheng
Garden Program Manager
gardens@thehealproject.org
Donya Foley
Farm Program Manager
farm@thehealproject.org
Amy Bono
Executive Director
director@thehealproject.org
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Emily Cheng
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