School Gardens

This slide show, created by former Master Gardener Program Manager Yvonne Savio, presents some examples.

Resources for School Gardens in Los Angeles County and Beyond
UC Cooperative Extension provides support for Los Angeles County school gardens through the Master Gardener Program.

Master Gardeners help train teachers and students in sustainable gardening practices.

For technical assistance from our Master Gardeners, please click here or contact Valerie Borel at vtborel@ucanr.edu, (626) 586-1986. 

If you are organizing a school garden in Los Angeles County, please first take a look at our School Garden Start-Up Guide (in English & Spanish). It outlines easy steps for developing a sustainable school garden.

We offer a free, downloadable book, "Children's Gardens - A Field Guide for Teachers, Parents and Volunteers." The guide offers activities for teachers and parents to use with youth at school gardens and with beginning gardeners of all ages.

Links to other organizations that offer support and resources for school gardens: California School Garden Network, California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom and National Gardening Association.

What Are the Benefits of School Gardens?
School gardens, when paired with nutrition education, can have positive impacts on increasing children's consumption of fruits and vegetables. Eating the recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables is an important strategy for reducing chronic diseases and building life-long healthy habits that reduce obesity.

In addition, school gardens can be integrated with school curricula in science, math, literature and social studies to help reinforce classroom learning with hands-on learning.