In April of 2011, USDA Food and Nutrition Services awarded a consortium of four Land Grant Universities the People’s Garden School Pilot Program. Washington State University served as the lead institution in collaboration with Cornell University, Iowa State University, and the University of Arkansas to develop the Healthy Gardens, Healthy Youth (HGHY) program. Healthy Gardens, Healthy Youth built on the leadership capacity of Cooperative Extension and its position within the national Land Grant University network to accomplish the outcomes set forth for the People’s Garden School Pilot Program.
As a pilot of the People’s Garden School Program, HGHY utilized the community-based Cooperative Extension system to develop and implement school community gardens designed to offer students at high-poverty schools an opportunity for improved access to nutritious food through learning about nutrition and agriculture production.The states involved in HGHY were intentionally chosen for the diversity that their climates, planting seasons and local food preferences would bring to gardening for the project. The pilot program ended in 2013.
Project Goals:
- Increase Fruit and Vegetable Consumption
- Empower Youth in their Communities
- Contribute Toward a Sustainable Environment and Food System
- Build a National Network
Educational Toolkit
The Educational Toolkit was developed to provide 19-20 lessons over an 18-month period for interventions schools. The lessons began in the early spring 2012, and extended through the next school year, ending in Spring 2013. The Toolkit provided 10-11 lessons to be taught in 2012 between February and the end of the school year in weekly sessions, and nine lessons to be taught through the month from September 2012 – May/June 2013. To learn more about the Toolkit and how to access it, click here.
For more project background, click here.
To learn more about the research aspects of the project, click here.
General information about the project, including news coverage, can be found in project’s Newsroom, Facebook page or YouTube channel
This project was funded at least in part with Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The contents of this website do not necessarily reflect the view or policies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Project number CN-CGP-11-0047.
