More Voices From the Field on Gardening in Afterschool

Source: Courtesy of Change The Tune

By Sam Piha

Afterschool programs are particularly well positioned to engage youth in gardening activities. To learn more about this, we interviewed two afterschool practitioners: Sara Brown (SB), Garden Educator and Coordinator, A.P. Giannini Middle School, SFUSD, and Charli Kemp (CK), Executive Director, Change the Tune. (Note: Our series of blog posts on gardening in afterschool are excerpts from a larger briefing paper entitled, Gardening in Afterschool Programs.) 

Q: WILL YOU BRIEFLY DESCRIBE YOUR GARDENING PROGRAM?

SB: The AP Giannini Middle School Garden Program hosts inquiry based environmental education classes during the school day and hosts a Garden Lunch Club twice a week. We also offer community engagement opportunities for community members both during and outside of school time. 

CK: Part of our innovation comes from focusing on food justice. Our goal is to build the capacity in our youth who are our future leaders to be able to not replicate broken systems, but to build sound powerful structures that are designed to center the voices of the collective. Part of that work centers food justice and gardening. By teaching youth how to grow their own food and then cook their own food, they learn a variety of soft and hard skills that prepare them to understand we are what we eat. We have to cultivate our wellness through our work with the soil and our food.  

Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF GARDENING WITH YOUTH? 

SB: Benefits to the youth:

• Hands on project based learning opportunities, cooking with fresh fruits and vegetables!
• Science exploration, inquiry-based learning opportunities.
• Getting students outside interacting with the natural world
• Give students who don't thrive in a classroom setting alternative modes of learning
• Skill building i.e. learning to use new tools and how to take care of living things

Benefits to staff:

• Hands on learning and teaching opportunities
• Project-based learning, staff isn't constantly having to come up with new lesson plans, projects can be ongoing
• Skill building i.e. learning to use new tools and how to take care of living things 

CK: 

• Healthier food options
• Opportunity to apply STEM concepts
• Clarity around the food chain process 
• Building connection to our land and our soil
• Joy in the learning space  

Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE POTENTIAL CHALLENGES?

SB: 

• Accepting that it will take a long time for it to feel sustainable, the first few years there will probably be a lot of disappointments
• Having the capacity for a staff to be continuously caring for the garden
• Things in the natural world are less likely to go according to plan
• Sustainability, how can we make sure this can be a continuous program?

CK: Finding the resources and capacity to continue programming. 

Source: Courtesy of Change The Tune

Q: HOW SHOULD A PROGRAM PREPARE ITSELF TO INCORPORATE GARDENING?

SB:

• A maintenance plan i.e: who is going to water, take care of the soil, do pest management?
• Think long-term what will happen over school breaks, what seasons will the garden need more support and utilize volunteer support
• Start small, with something you know you have the capacity to maintain, i.e.: 1-2 garden beds and maybe a worm compost bin

CK: 

• Talk to your constituents. Ask what they would like to do. 
• Engage local experts, create collaboration and partnership opportunities.  

Q: ANY RESOURCES THAT YOU WOULD RECOMMEND?

SB:

• School Garden Support Organization Network (SGSO), https://sgsonetwork.org/
• Edible Schoolyard, for curricular support, https://edibleschoolyard.org/resource-search

CK:  https://plantpluglosangeles.com/

Q: ARE THERE ANY ORGANIZATIONS TO CONSIDER PARTNERING WITH? (COMMUNITY GARDENS, PARENTS, LOCAL BUSINESSES, ETC.) TO GET DONATIONS? TO LEARN MORE? 

SB:

• Parents for volunteer support, donations of supplies
• Nurseries: will usually donate last years seeds
• Local coffee shops: for coffee grounds for compost
• Community gardens, for gardening questions and sometimes spare plant starts

CK: 

• https://plantpluglosangeles.com/
• Home Depot, Lowes, and other local gardening businesses

Source: Courtesy of Change The Tune

Q: WOULD YOU OFFER ANY ADDITIONAL TIPS FOR PROGRAM LEADERS?

SB:

• Have grace for yourself, gardening can both be very rewarding and frustrating things often don't go according to plan
• Always plant more than you think you will need
• It's okay to get starts from a nursery, somethings are really hard to grow from seeds (like alliums)
• Take care of your tools
• Plant things with an idea of what you can cook with youth

MORE ABOUT…

Sara Brown has been the garden teacher and coordinator at AP Giannini Middle School in San Francisco, for 3 years and has 7 years of experience in Environmental Education. Their work is fueled by their belief in making science learning and the natural world accessible to all. Currently, they are getting their Master's in Science Education at San Jose State University, so that they can continue to foster non-traditional learning settings in which students can thrive. Their favorite activities in the garden are finding worms and watching the chickens run like tiny t-rexes.   

Bay Area Community Resource’s (BACR) mission is to promote the healthy development of individuals and families, encourage service and volunteerism, and help build community. They carry out their mission by (1) providing direct school- and community-based services, (2) connecting volunteers with opportunities to best serve their communities, and (3) building and strengthening all of the communities they serve so that community members and institutions can effect change. 

Sunset Neighborhood Beacon Center (SNBC) offers afterschool programming at several schools, including AP Giannini Middle School. It is a community-based organization serving San Francisco’s Sunset District. Their mission is to provide supports and opportunities to ensure the healthy development of children, youth, and adults. Their purpose is to connect people to their passion, potential, and community.

Charli Kemp is the Executive Director of Change the Tune. She is a curator of transformative, musical-learning experiences that empower individuals to create positive systemic change. Utilizing education as a vehicle for activism, Charli is driven in her desire to end inequitable systems, to create opportunities and access for underserved communities. With Change The Tune, she seeks to reimagine the learning space by creating revolutionary extended learning spaces that provide radical and transformational learning experiences in partnership with communities.

Change The Tune is a 501c3 nonprofit that works to close the opportunity gap for youth in underserved communities by creating holistic, radical, and transformational extended learning experiences in partnership with communal organizations. They have three key strategies in their approach to this work: create & lead programs that students love, train & develop organization & school leaders, and mobilize communities to invest in innovative learning approaches. Change The Tune serves schools in Los Angeles, Chicago, Sommerville and the Bahamas. 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Briefing Paper: Gardening in Afterschool Programs

Videos: Good for adults and youth

• Planning Your Garden
• Building a Garden in a Day
• Caring for Your Garden
• Fears in the Garden

Activities: 

• Edible Schoolyard Project

Toolkit:

• Starting a School Garden: A Toolkit for Success Developed by Sydney Klein and Jackson County Health Department, Illinois
  

Starting A Gardening Club: Tips for Program Leaders

Source: Healthy Food Choices in School 

By Sam Piha

For program leaders wanting to incorporate gardening into their programs, it is helpful to learn from others, which can include visiting other programs. Below we offer tips from practitioners that may be useful. (Note: Our series of blog posts on gardening in afterschool are excerpts from a larger briefing paper entitled, Gardening in Afterschool Programs.) 

The Healthy Food Choices in Schools organization offers several tips for those considering a gardening club or project:

“Many students participate in after school activities to extend their learning opportunities and spend more time with friends during the day. Afterschool garden clubs provide a great way for students to learn about gardening and gain hands-on experience growing their own food and tasting the fruits (and vegetables!) of their labor.

Pick your space: Every garden needs sun, soil, and water. Pick your ideal sun or shade garden location on school grounds, giving thought to your need to deliver items like loads of soil and seedlings, and your access to drinkable water. Other things to consider are whether you need space to push a wheelbarrow, and if you have storage nearby for garden tools. Give yourself time for construction of any raised or in-ground beds, and for bed preparation. 

Pick your growing season: Decide if you want to host a fall garden club, a spring garden club, or a year-round club, and decide how frequently your club will meet. During the warmer gardening months, a lot can happen in a week! Pick your crops based on season, and length of growing time. Students will be most excited to see crops go from seedlings to fruit stage, and then to harvest. 

Source: Smithsonian Gardens

Water: Your garden will need water—lots of water. Make sure that you have access to a hose that provides drinkable water throughout the garden season. It’s a good idea to create a watering schedule and have backups

Safety first: All in-ground garden spaces should have the soil tested for lead and other contaminants prior to planting. One exception is if you are starting a container garden and using bagged soil and organic matter that you know to be free of contaminants. When adding soil to your garden beds, be sure it is an appropriate soil mix for growing produce. Also consider whether your garden needs fencing to keep out deer, rabbits, raccoons, or other critters that enjoy fresh produce. You will want to ensure that anything you put on the garden is safe for children to handle, and that the produce will be safe to eat. Use of manure and pesticides are not acceptable practices for youth gardens.

Gather supplies: Make a wish list of your garden supplies and circulate it to your school community. You will likely get many hand shovels, rakes, and buckets. School fundraisers are another great way to get funds for larger items like wood for bed construction, wheelbarrows, hoses, and fencing. Local businesses may be willing to donate supplies, and many organizations have grant funding available for school garden projects. A minimal list to get started includes soil, seedlings/seeds, a hose, shovels, and gloves for participants.

Choose a theme: Remember that the garden is more than just a growing space—it is an outdoor classroom. Many students enjoy growing gardens that have themes. Popular ones include pizza gardens, herb gardens, butterfly/pollinator gardens, and native plant gardens. You can also create an ABC garden, a math garden, storybook garden, or international garden to reinforce classroom concepts. Have students decorate the garden with creative signage.

Manage expectations: Gardening is a wonderful learning experience. It is also an exercise in patience, trial and error, and working with uncontrollable variables like the weather. Visit other school gardens for ideas and inspiration, and get the students involved from the start..” [1]

“By incorporating a garden into an afterschool program, educators can create a dynamic and enriching environment that promotes active learning, fosters a connection with nature, and encourages positive health and environmental habits among participants.” [2]

Additional tips for incorporating a garden into an afterschool program are offered by Damon Carr (Farming the Future):

“Engage Stakeholders: Involve parents, teachers, and community members in the planning process to build support and ensure the garden aligns with the afterschool program's goals. 

Start Small: Begin with a manageable garden space and simple gardening activities, gradually expanding as the program gains momentum and student interest grows. 

Design Theme Gardens: Create theme gardens, such as a sensory garden or a pollinator garden, to provide diverse learning opportunities and sensory experiences. 

Tailor Activities: Adapt gardening activities to accommodate various age groups and abilities, ensuring that all participants can actively engage in the garden. 

 Source: The Urban Garden Initiative

Hands-On Learning: Use the garden as a hands-on learning environment, incorporating science, math, and environmental lessons into gardening activities. 

Cultivate Creativity: Encourage artistic expression by incorporating garden-related art projects, such as garden sculptures or nature-inspired crafts. 

Healthy Snacks: Use harvested produce to promote healthy eating habits, offering fresh snacks or hosting cooking activities with garden-grown ingredients.  

Environmental Stewardship: Teach students about environmental stewardship and sustainability through composting, water conservation, and eco-friendly gardening practices. 

Garden Journals: Have students keep garden journals to document their experiences, observations, and reflections throughout the gardening journey. 

Community Events: Host garden-related events, such as garden tours, harvest celebrations, or family gardening days, to involve the broader community and showcase the program's impact.” [3]  

For more information or to implement a garden program in your school, contact Damon Carr at: Damon@ftfeducation.com

PARTNERSHIPS
Partnering with others can be very beneficial. We offer some ideas below:

Community Gardens
According to Smithsonian Gardens, “It is not the first time Americans have turned to community gardens to reshape city life. The community gardens we see in cities today have evolved from a long history. Since the 1890s, Americans have turned to the garden to confront social problems such as economic recession, war, urban decline, and environmental injustice.” [4]

Source: Smithsonian Gardens

“Many urban reformers began to create school gardens for children, particularly those of immigrants and lower-income residents. Educators feared urban life would have negative effect on children. Gardens, they hoped, would be a way to connect youth to nature, teach them responsibility, and improve their physical health.” [5] 

Is there a community garden nearby? If so, consider partnering with the community garden. 

Other Community Partners
Incorporating gardening in an afterschool program can be supported by enlisting partners to assist by donating funds, materials or labor. Partners can include:

• Nonprofit organizations, such as local garden clubs or community youth organizations.
• Community businesses, such as nurseries, hardware & lumber stores or businesses that sell gardening supplies.
• Parents and Individuals from the larger community can provide volunteer labor or donations. They can also serve as gardening experts. 

It is best to involve youth when enlisting partners or funding. Perhaps your youth participants can help identify businesses in the community that might be appropriate for a donation request and deliver the request themselves. Young people can also design posters that identify businesses that support the gardening program, which they can display in a window. Young people can also design and deliver thank you cards for businesses that donate.

END NOTES

[1] After School Garden Clubs: Planting Seeds for Success
[2] Tips for Incorporating a Garden into an Afterschool Program
[3] IBID.
[4] Grown from the Past: A Short History of Community Gardening in the United States
[5] IBID.