The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida
School and Community Gardens
Celebrating 10 Years Of Wellness
School Gardens
During the 2010-2011 school year, the SFS Department researched and piloted various gardening models that could be easily implemented at school sites. By utilizing the common area at the North County Service Center building in Riviera Beach several different methods were designed from raised beds and potted plants to a Verto-Gro system.
Through this process the SFS Department was successful in the ultimate goal of piloting various gardening models and creating resources for schools interested in pursuing school gardens. In addition, they supported a local community organization, St. Georges Center, with donations of approximately 100 pounds of food. St. Georges Center is located in Riviera Beach and is a large community center that typically feeds hundreds of people lunch and dinner daily. The SFS Department planned to continue developing the model gardens and the respective resource material in addition to expanding the garden. In July 2011, with the help of a local Boy Scout troop, additional growing beds, potted plants, and three new fruit trees were planted.
Subsequently, in January 2010, The School District of Palm Beach County was awarded a $360,000 Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities (HKHC) grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to improve opportunities for physical activity and access to affordable healthy foods for children and families in the Lake Worth, Greenacres, and Palm Springs communities. The HKHC coalition, representing twenty community partners, was formed in July 2010 to create policy and environmental changes for children and families by increasing opportunities to access healthy foods and participate in physical activity.
Building on the success of the District’s Wellness Promotion Policy (2.035) efforts, which implement healthy eating and active lifestyle changes during the school day, the RWJF Grant led to the creation of 4 school site gardens. A community garden was also created at the Therapeutic Recreation Center, which serves as a school for disabled students. Each school and community garden contained different fruits and vegetables planted based on the specific cultures and populations of the community.
During the three years of the HKHC project, school and community gardens were created at 25 sites throughout the project area. Each principal signed a garden agreement that included decisions about what will be done with the food and commitments to ensure long-term success of the project. Support for the gardens was achieved in many ways. Each coordinator at the garden site is given training by the UF/IFAS Cooperative Extension Service on techniques and methods of farming. Business and community partners such as The Kiwanis Club of Lake Worth, The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, The Lake Worth Garden Club, The Mount’s Botanical Garden Master Gardeners, The Scottish Rite Masons, and PBC Parks and Recreation continued to support the gardens and the students beyond the term of the grant.
After the HKHC grant project came to an end, the SFS Department developed an on staff coordinator position to continue their efforts for a school based garden initiative through school based initiatives.
Donations continued to be made over the past six years from the SFS garden totaling 621 pounds of fruits and vegetables. School and community gardens create opportunities for recreation, exercise, socialization, and education. Gardens produce nutritious food that can be shared with students to potentially reduce their families’ food budget. Gardening encourages self-reliance, stimulates social interaction, preserves green space, and beautifies neighborhoods. These projects increase access to healthy foods and active lifestyle opportunities for children and contribute to accomplishing the overarching goal. Educational opportunities to enhance math, science, language arts, health, and physical education through curriculums are available for the participating schools and after care programs.
The School District of Palm Beach County is very proud of the accomplishments made during this last decade and continues to support the Garden Initiative project.
In FY16 117 of our 184 schools districtwide reported having a garden on their school campus. The breakdown of these gardens is as follows:
American Heart Association Grants:
Ten of our district schools are currently funded by a three year Teaching Gardens grant through the American Heart Association. To qualify, each school must complete a comprehensive survey ensuring their commitment to the program. Once a school is selected, they must establish a teaching gardens committee. Each of these schools are in different phases of the grant. Only one new grant was awarded in FY16. For more information:
New American Heart Association Grant
JC Mitchell Elementary
Schools Completing Second Year:
Banyan Creek Elementary
Lincoln Elementary
Schools Completing Third Year:
Benoist Farms Elementary
Elbridge Gale Elementary
Glade View Elementary
Grassy Waters Elementary
Hammock Pointe Elementary
Jupiter Elementary
KEC / Canal Point Elementary
All of these schools had scheduled planting and harvest day events in the fall and the spring of the school year.
In FY16 School Food Service (SFS) partnered with the American Heart Association to demonstrate the value of school gardens and the importance of growing healthy food. During regular meal service, the SFS team transformed the cafeteria creating a “farmer feel” and provided ALL students with samples of a Kale Apple Salad. More than 7,500 students participated in these special events. Upon completion of the event, teachers were provided a survey to obtain feedback from their kids. Twenty-six percent of the students completed the survey and the results indicated the following:
New in FY16
School Garden Development Guide
This publication was initially created in FY15 and went through its first revision in FY16 as a result of a collaborative effort between School Food Service, Environmental Conservation Services and Maintenance and Plant Operations. This publication provides district specific guidance to schools regarding policies and procedures related to the various activities associated with school gardens.
Included in the FY16 Edition:
- Digging In / Benefits of School Gardens
- Planning
- Types of Gardens
- Garden Management
- Selecting Fruits and Vegetables
- Soil, Irrigation, Fertilizer Options and Pest Management
- Mulching, Composting
- Harvesting
- Sustainability
- Facility Requirements
- Recommended and Prohibited Plants
- Curriculum and Garden Connections
- Sun Safety
- Resources and Photos
Garden Webpage
Mirroring the newsletter and capturing much of the information of newsletters gone by, the garden webpage was also added to share garden related information with internal and external parties. www2.palmbeachschools.org/sfs/gardens
Garden Awards
In FY16 two Palm Beach County Schools received Golden Shovel Awards:
Olympic Heights Community High
Most Community Involvement
Bright Futures Academy (Charter School)
Most Creative Learning Environment
Both schools will be acknowledged at the Wellness Promotion Task Force Meeting in October 2016 so that we can properly congratulate them.
Schools that demonstrated extraordinary school garden efforts were encouraged to apply for the Golden Shovel Award. This recognition is presented annually by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and schools were able to submit for Best New Garden, Best Revitalized Garden, Best Use of Produce, Most Community Involvement, and Most Creative Learning Environment in FY16.