School Garden Bright Spots: July 2021
Dear School Garden Friends,
 
K-12 public education was shaken to its core over the 2020-2021 school year as the COVID-19 Global Pandemic closed schools and pushed learning on-line. Disparities between students with and without key resources grew exponentially as access to technology and parental support became the linchpin for academic success. Increased social isolation and screen time, economic recession, and an enduring public health crisis have led to collective trauma and lasting mental health impacts for K-12 students.
 
Despite these challenges, through the generous support of TUSD, our friends and donors, UA Community and School Garden Program (CSGP) has been able to provide much needed garden-based enrichment to K-12 students and community members. Enclosed are our Academic-Year 2020-2021 impacts.
 
Working in the garden is good medicine, countering the academic and mental health effects of the COVID-19 Global Pandemic. We could not deliver this powerful response without your generous support. Thank you.
 
Warm monsoon regards,
 
Moses, Greg, Sallie, and the School Garden Team
Regional Impacts

  • UA School Garden Workshop Class
  • School Year 2020-2021, 52 UA students provided triage garden support across TUSD during COVID-19 school closures

  • Green Academy Professional Development
  • Over 100 K-12 teachers attended monthly workshops impacting more than 600 K-12 students


  • Food Literacy Programming:
  • 150 students were trained to prepare meals, received a meal kit, and replicated it at home
  • Nutrition lessons and tastings were delivered to 100 students
  • 350 pounds of produce provided for tastings, culinary demonstrations, or donations to families and staff.

  • STEMAZing Institute
  • In collaboration with Pima County School Superintendent, CSGP delivered an intensive 3-day garden workshop for 26 teachers from across Arizona impacting 1375 K-12 students

  • Tucson Unified School District Summer Professional Development Institute
  • 6 hours of teacher training delivered to 85 K-12 educators impacting ~5000 K-12 students

  • GreenReach
  • 4 UA student workers supported garden projects that directly impacted 56 K-12 educators and 2210 students
National Impacts

  • Coast-to-Coast School Garden Tour
  • In collaboration with Sprouts Foundation, CSGP was featured on the first ever Coast-to-Coast School Garden Tour reaching more than 50,000 K-12 student viewers
  • Virtual Tour

  • FoodCorps National Training
  • 150 FoodCorps Service Members were trained in Social Emotional Learning in the Garden impacting ~2400 K-12 students



  • National Science Foundation Support to replicate ‘agrivoltaics’ research and educational efforts in Colorado 2020-2021
  • Established a garden array under a solar photovoltaic canopy
  • Create a food distribution pipeline to local food banks
  • Establish the Colorado Agrivoltaic Learning Center to model garden-based teaching and research after our CSGP
Global Impacts

  • Green Technicians Program (United Kingdom)
  • Through a collaboration with University of Glasgow, we helped launch a CSGP model program in Glasgow Scotland. This year the program has expanded from University of Glasgow to University of Leeds and University of Aberdeen:
  • Glasgow Times Article

  • Harvesting the Sun Twice - Agrivoltaics in Kenya
  • Through a collaboration with University of Sheffield (United Kingdom), we launched a food + renewable energy production experiment and farmer training program at Latia Farms. Since 2011, Latia has provided training and business support services to farmers, pastoralists and agribusinesses in Africa.