Running head: GROW: A SCHOOL GARDEN PROJECT

GROW: A School Garden Project

Anne Estrada and Marissa Madsen
Arizona State University
PPE 310: Health Literacy for Schools
Dr. William Hesse
April 23, 2016

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Introduction
In the United States school children suffer from obesity and Arizona is one of the
worst with one child in four overweight or obese. This obesity is caused by poor eating habits,
the high price of healthy foods in community grocery stores, and a lack of physical activity. With
available health information and teaching environments focused on student success, it is
disappointing to find that many of our students are not making healthy food choices. Our
students need more educational support aimed at teaching the benefits of eating health.
Helping students make healthy choices will require different tools. The intention of
GROW: A School Garden Project is to engage students in a sustainable food growing process.
This project will provide students with the interactive experience of growing and tasting fresh
vegetables and fruits. By providing students with opportunities to feel, smell, and taste food from
a garden it is likely they will continue to eat health foods. The goal is to provide students and
families with the tools necessary to make healthy food choices that lead to improved student
health.
GROW: A School Garden Project is a tool that can be adapted to any school. It requires
minimal maintenance, space, and water; this also contributes to its sustainability. The structure of
raised containers allows all students access to the garden, even those using a wheel chair. As
Special Education teachers we see GROW: A School Garden Project as an inclusive school
project providing learning opportunities for all students. The following E-Portfolio links provide
additional information to support our inclusive teaching practices anneestradaeportfolio.weebly.com and http://madsenmarissa.weebly.com/.

Review of Current Literature

Article 1 School gardens. The green room: Making your teaching more environmentally
friendly (Beckrich, 2011) discusses the importance of teaching about food in science class.

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Students learn how growing food impacts the environment, activities and projects add to the
enjoyment of student learning. The article suggests sources that make a great addition to any
science food lesson such as the documentary Food Inc. and free downloadable curriculum at the
website Nutrients for Life.
School gardens enhance academic performance and dietary outcomes in children
(Berezowitz, 2015) in this second article the focus is on school garden programs and their effects
on student dietary and academic outcomes. The results of the research indicate that schools with
a garden program had students that consumed more fruits and vegetables daily. Connections
were made to student scores in science and math that increased due to the schools garden
program
The third article A Garden Pilot Project Enhances Fruit and Vegetable Consumption
among Children (Heim, 2009) looked at how implementing a school garden program affects
student consumption of fruits and vegetables. Less than 10% of children are actually eating
enough fruits and vegetables. In the study a group of 4th through 6th grade students participated in
weekly gardening activities. Afterword these students were asked to take a test to determine how
much they enjoyed the activities. Over 90% of the students stated that they really enjoyed
gardening and learned a lot about healthy eating. Follow up research showed there was a
dramatic increase in the numbers of fruits and vegetables students were eating daily.
Learning to eat vegetables in early life (Canton, 2014) the fourth journal article, focused
on the inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption of pre-school children. During the study a
group of students were given multiple exposures to vegetables to see if it would increase their
consumption. It was found that the older students were the more picky about the type of
vegetable they ate. The majority of the younger students were considered plate-cleaners

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because they ate anything that was put in front of them. The overall results were inconclusive
and it was decided that the older students would need more exposure for adequate results.
Journal article five, Applied environmental education and communication: The seeds of
learning: Young children develop important skills through their gardening activities at a
Midwestern early education program (Miller, 2007) looked at how a gardening program in a
school helps students develop important skills. Skills like community involvement, team work,
perseverance, and overall healthy eating. Working on a garden requires students to work together
in order to be successful. They learn to rely on each other and persevere through the tough
moments. It also teaches students about the importance of getting involved and community
service.
Article six, Children's physical activity while gardening: Development of a valid and
reliable direct observation tool (Meyers, 2015) looked at the physical activity exerted by
children while gardening and the authors have developed an effective way to measure this
physical activity. This is intended to increase the use of school gardens as a way to increase daily
physical activity in an attempt to decrease obesity in the student population.
In the seventh article, Obesigenic families: Parents physical activity and dietary intake
patterns predict girls risk of overweight (2002) authors Davidson and Birch were able to identify
a link to the activity level and dietary patterns of parents that can be used as predictors of a
child's risk of obesity.
School Culture
The school used for the focus of this project is Cesar Chavez Community School. It is
located in south Phoenix, in an urban setting with private homes, apartments, small businesses
and large industrial parks on the north and west boundaries. The median household income is

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$44,015 (Point 2 Home, 2016). It is 1 of 18 schools in the Roosevelt School District No.66. It is
located in an urban area with 94% of the population Hispanic while only 2% is Caucasian. The
school serves grades K-8 with an average class size of 25. The school district identifies Cesar
Chavez as having a B rating which qualify it for Title 1 services. There are currently 467 students
enrolled and 1.4% of the students are receiving free or reduced lunch, considerably fewer than in
2007 when almost 100% of students were receiving free or reduced lunch.
Synthesis of Current Literature
All of the articles identify ways that students benefit from the concept of gardening. By
comparing articles one and two researchers found academic benefits. Students who learn about
garden foods in science increased their awareness of the environment as well as improved scores
in math and science.
In article six researchers Meyers and Wells, are able to measure the output of energy of
students during gardening activities. While in the seventh article researchers Davidson and Birch
were able to link a parents dietary and activity levels to their child's risk of obesity. Both articles
support student participation in a school garden as a physical activity that would benefit students
by increasing the amount of measurable physical activity that may not be provided in their nonschool environments.
Article five provided research showing students developed important skills like
community involvement, team work and improved eating habits from their participation in a
school garden. These skills compliment the academic and social skills students learn from a
classroom environment.
Our focus school, Cesar Chavez Community School has fewer students receiving free
and reduced school meals. This may contribute to fewer students eating healthy foods. Without

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the school meals which include foods set by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2010) it is
unknown whether students are receiving balanced nutrition. Providing students with a school
garden may provide knowledge students can use to make healthy food choices in and out of the
school environment.
Practical Implications
Administration
Approaching the administration will involve identifying how the GROW: A School
Garden Project will benefit students. By sharing the research that supports how a school garden
can be used to improve eating habits and academic performance, increase physically activity, and
teach students social skills. The possibility of funding through and ASU grant will minimize the
need for teachers to fundraise and allowing them to focus on using the garden for academic
purposes.
Administrators will be presented with the research article School gardens (the green
room: Making your teaching more environmentally friendly) which discusses the importance of
teaching about food in science class. Students will enjoy learning about the benefits of growing
food as well as learning that their food choices impact the environment. The article suggests a
few sources that would make great additions to a science lesson about nutrition, like the
documentary Food Inc. and free downloadable curriculum from the website Nutrients for Life
(Beckrich, 2011).
Finally, presenting the administration with the design of the garden (See Appendix D) and
its sustainable aspects will help influence their decision. The garden can be set up at the
beginning of the school year and broken down quickly near the last days of school. It is on a self
watering system which allows plants to be watered on weekends and requires minimal labor.

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The system can be set up anywhere near a faucet and uses a simple water fill valve to self
regulate the flow of water into the sealed cylinders. The cylinders are sealed so mosquitoes are
unable to reach the water to breed. Two exciting elements of this sustainable system are first, it
required very little maintenance because the plants grow in containers raised above the ground
and second, these raised containers make the garden accessible to individuals with disabilities.
This garden can be build using recyclable materials and minimal tools. The sample garden (See
Appendix F) was constructed at a cost of three hundred dollars. The following YouTube link
provides building information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyOIRVjatdg.
Committee
To bring attention to the project we will create a committee of parents, community
members and teachers who can collaborate and provide ideas and resources that benefit garden
project. The committee name will be the Grow Project. As a committee these people will
communicate healthy eating, and sustainability issues to the local community such as Produce on
Wheels (See Appendix E). Students will be involved in the planning of events assisted by
teachers and staff members. This participation will increase student investment as they take on
responsibility and ownership of the project and its success. The committee will create
workshops, plan events, maintain the health of the garden, create marketing pieces to get
knowledge of the garden out in the community, and develop ways to add health and
sustainability into the curriculum.
Academic Success
School gardens have been proven to teach students lifelong skills and improve academics
(Miller, 2007). By having students participate in a school garden they are learning skills in
teamwork, community service, and patience. Gardening involves science and math skills as

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students will need to calculate the amount of time it takes plants to grow, how much water the
garden require, soil quality, and weather conditions. The academic content used by students who
are involved in a school garden shows that these students tend to have better grades in math and
science (Berezowitz, 2015).
Educational Component
A school garden provides teachers with an opportunity to make lesson plans that
incorporate engaging hands on activities. Online resources show teachers how to use the school
garden to support all content areas. Students and staff will find that the garden is a place for
creative inspiration and weather permitting the school garden can be a location for teachers to
present lessons, and students can work on individual or group activities.
Marketing
The marketing aspect of the project will include creating T-shirts (See Appendix A) that
will have the project name and logo. They will be available for purchase at all of the events and
the profits will go towards purchasing supplies for community events.
Students will host multiple community events where parents, siblings, grandparents, and
other community members can participate. One event will be the Harvest Time event (See
Appendix B). This event will feature the fruits and vegetables from the harvest. The Grow
Project committee will organize the event. Local farmers and health professional will be invited
to present information emphasizing how buying locally grown food and having your own garden
helps the environment and improves nutrition.
Another event will be the TAKE A BITE food taste testing event (See appendix D).
This event will be a school wide event taking place during the school day. Students will
have an opportunity to try a sampling of a variety of fruits, vegetables and grains. Each

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classroom will sponsor a different food and present information about that food. Students
will vote on their favorites and help to make decisions about future plants to grow in the
school garden.
The overall purpose of the garden is promoting healthy eating habits and sustainability so
these ideas will be sent home in a monthly newsletter (See Appendix C) The newsletter will
contain information about upcoming local events, recipes that highlight seasonal produce, and
showcase student art.
Funding
The initial source for gathering funding of this project is to contact Ms. Susan Norton of
the Arizona State University Department of Sustainability. Ms. Norton leads the Green Team
which funds the Smart from the Start Grant provide money to local sustainability projects. This
grant will provide five to six thousand dollars toward the development of the school garden
project. This amount would cover all the materials necessary to build a garden system that could
be used for multiple years.
Another option for funding would be to apply for the Green Apple Grant. This grant is
offered through U.S. Green Building Council Arizona and is for five hundred dollars. This grant
is significantly less than the Smart from the Start Grant and will need to be combined with other
donations if the ASU Smart from the Start grant is not awarded to the project.
A final option for funding would be to ask for donations of the community. Parents will
be asked to purchase t-shirts. Businesses such as Wal-Mart and Home Depot will be asked to
donate fruits and vegetables for tasting events, and garden supplies. Additional funds can be
obtained through a Go Fund Me account which also relies on local donations.
Conclusion

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10

The growing season in Arizona is year round. This allows students to plant and harvest
during both semesters of the school year. Seasonal produce will be planted using organic seeds
and Non- GMO plants. During the summer months the garden will lay fallow and the fruit trees
will be placed on existing drip irrigation systems to save water and energy.
At the beginning of each semester fast growing vegetable will be planted and harvested.
These may include tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, squash, potatoes, onions and herbs such as
cilantro, basil, and mint and edible flowers. The garden will vary as teachers and students learn
more about the plants, and seasonal requirements of the garden. There will be options for
growing herbs that provide enjoyable sensory stimulation to students with special needs. Flowers
will be planted around the perimeter of the garden space to attract pollinating bees and
butterflies.
By the third year each teacher will be familiar with the growing process and able to
instruct students in tending a section of the garden. The garden will be a focus of school wide
contests for the largest harvest and the healthiest recipe. Teachers will be encouraged to
incorporate gardening, environment, physical activity, sustainability science into academic
content and the garden will provide the realia that is ideal for engaging students. Teachers will be
able to present lessons outside near the garden and school wide Earth Day celebrations can be
hosted in the garden area.
During the fifth year the citrus and fruit trees will have increasing amounts of fruit.
These trees will provide shade for the benches placed around the perimeter of the garden. By the
fifth year routines for distributing produce grown in the garden will be established. This will
include a collapsible booth constructed by the middle school students that serves as a produce
stand. It will be located near the front of the school. The fruit stand will make produce from the
garden available for free to parents as they arrive to pick up their students at the end of the day.

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11

A school garden is a living tool that provides students with an intimate experience
working with nature. GROW a School Garden Project encourages students to develop healthy
eating habits through the process of growing food. Additionally participation in the GROW
Project provides opportunities to improve academic scores, increase physical activity, and
develop environmental awareness. An investment in the Grow a School Garden Project is an
investment in our students futures by teaching them to live healthier lives.

References
Action for Healthy Kids. Host a taste test. Retrieved March 14, 2016 from
http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/tools-for-schools/find-challenges/classroomchallenges/1210-host- a-taste-test
Arizona Green Schools Toolbox.(n.d.). Retrieved March 25, 2016 from
https://arizonagreenschoolstoolbox.wordpress.com/

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12

Beckrich, A. (2011). School gardens.(the green room: Making your teaching more
environmentally friendly). The Science Teacher, 78(3), 12.
Berezowitz, C. K., Bontrager Yoder, A. B., & Schoeller, D. A. (2015). School gardens enhance
academic performance and dietary outcomes in children. Journal of School Health, 85(8),
508-518. doi:10.1111/josh.12278
Caton, S. J., Blundell, P., Ahern, S. M., Nekitsing, C., Olsen, A., Mller, P., Hetherington, M. M.
(2014). Learning to Eat Vegetables in Early Life: The Role of Timing, Age and
Individual Eating Traits. PLoS ONE. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0097609
Davidson, K. K., & Birch, L. L. (2002). Obesigenic families: Parents physical activity and
dietary intake patterns predict girls risk of overweight. International Journal of Obesity,
26, 1186-1193.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans. (2010, October). Retrieved April 3, 2016, from
http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2010/DietaryGuidelines2010.pdf
Google Images. Vegetable taste testing kids pictures. Retrieved March 3, 2016 from
https://www.google.com/search?q=vegetable+taste+testing+kids+pictures&espv=2&biw
=1680&bih=882&site=webhp&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj
v4sXHg63LAhUDyWMKHedqCTgQsAQIGw&dpr=1
Hall, Larry. (2014). Why the rain gutter grow system is like no other
gardening system in the

world! Retrieved March 1, 2016 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=NyOIRVjatdg.

Heim, S., Stang, J., & Ireland, M. (2009). A Garden Pilot Project Enhances Fruit and
Vegetable Consumption among Children. Journal of the American Dietetic
Association, 12201226. doi:10.1016/j.jada.2009.04.009

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13

Miller, D. L., & Miller, D. L. (01/01/2007). Applied environmental education and

communication: The seeds of learning: Young children develop important skills
through their gardening activities at a Midwestern early education program,

Taylor

& Francis. doi:10.1080/15330150701318828

Meyers, Beth M., and Wells, Nancy M. (2015). Childrens physical activity while gardening:
Development of a valid and reliable direct observation tool. Journal of Physical Activity
and Health. 06/2015; 12(4). DOI: 10.1123/jpah.2013-0290.
Ohio Action for Healthy Kids. Taste testing toolkit. Retrieved Marc h 6, 2016.
http://www.ohioactionforhealthykids.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/OAFHK-2012Taste-Testing- Toolkit-WEB.pdf
Point 2 Homes. (2016). South Mountain Phoenix. Retrieved January 31, 2016 from
http://www.point2homes.com/US/Neighborhood/AZ/Phoenix/South-MountainDemographics.html
Roosevelt School District No. 66 Retrieved 2016 http://rsd66.org

Appendix A

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Appendix B

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Appendix C

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Appendix D

Dear Parents,
We are happy to announce TAKE A BITE - Taste Test Healthy Food Event at
Cesar Chavez Elementary school. To encourage healthy eating and increase students
knowledge of the benefits of eating healthy we will provide a sampling of a variety of
fruits, vegetables and grains.
Taste testing is a fun way to introduce students to new foods. Children are naturally picky
eaters and providing them with an opportunity to taste test gives them a chance to experience
flavors smells and textures of foods new to them. School is a place where children learn about
how food is grown and its nutritional value. Learning about food and watching peers and
teachers try new foods can help motivate students to try foods they may not have tried in the
cafeteria or in their homes.
This event will take place on April 15, 2016. Your students classroom teacher will send
home additional information regarding the specific foods to be sampled and a permission slip
that will need to be signed prior to your students participation in the TAKE A BITE - Taste Test
Healthy Food Event.

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Appendix E
Produce On Wheels With Out Waste
The following link includes addresses and dates for the Phoenix area food pick locations
Saturday, April 16th (Multiple Locations)
7:00am - 10:00am

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Appendix F

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