The University of Arizona Community and School Garden Program

March 23, 2022
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Nurture, Educate, Connect

Background:

  • Founded in 2009, the UA Community and School Garden Program supports 25 school gardens and 3 gardens/farms throughout Tucson
  • We work with 4,000+ TUSD students and train 120 UA interns who invest 2,000 hours of volunteer labor into the program through the UA School Garden Workshop (GEOG 497F/597F)
  • The UA Worship-based course is designed to enable UA undergraduates and graduate students to work in Tucson-area schools helping students and teachers to undertake the design, construction, planting, harvesting and preparation of foods from a local school garden. The workshop also involves preparing or assembling curriculum materials to enable teachers and students to teach and learn about food production, food histories and geographies, and food politics. 

CSGP GOALS

  • Inspire teachers and community members to develop and sustain gardens and use them as experiential learning sites. 
  • Connect all students to their communities and the culture and politics of food.
  • Provide all students with opportunities to develop collaborative decision-making and self-determination. 
  • Encourage a dedication to the environment and social justice. Support the development of a regional food system that is just and equitable.

Connect with us via email bap@arizona.edu or on Facebook (https://m.facebook.com/UASchoolGardens/)

 

The TUSD Food Literacy Program

 

The Food Literacy Program connects K-12 students, Dietetic and University of Arizona interns, and their communities with resources and skills during hands-on, place-based nutrition and culinary education. As a part of the School Garden Network, the FLP is a collaboration between the Tucson Unified School District and the University of Arizona’s Community and School Garden Program. The FLP includes a culinary lab field trip destination center, conducts school-wide cafeteria tastings, and delivers in-class cooking demonstrations with take home meal kits utilizing local foods and school garden-grown produce. The FLP ignites curiosity and empowers students and their communities to cultivate positive change and encourages a healthy future.

 

Connect with us via email seleneleyva@arizona.edu or follow us on Instagram (instagram.com/foodliteracyprogram) or on Facebook (Facebook.com/TheFoodLiteracyLab/)