2024 Annual Appeal: We Need You
In our 19 years of providing garden-based education to youth across L.A., we’ve discovered the incredible, untapped potential of school gardens as sites of change. From food waste prevention to hands-on STEM training, we’re harnessing the full transformative power of school gardens to provide historically underserved communities with:
Local food relief through free, on-campus Farmers Markets and production farming efforts
Food waste prevention and food redistribution through daily lunchtime composting as part of our Cafeteria to Compost program
Hands-on garden, nutrition, and sustainability education through our holistic Seed to Table program
We’ve seen the enormous role our on-the-ground work plays in students’ lives and daily educational experiences. In the garden, all kids can shine, from helping smash leftover fruit for compost to being a brave taster in cooking class! Over 65% of LAUSD educators we surveyed in May 2024 believe that GSF classes improve student attentiveness and engagement during their regular classes. These positive effects extend beyond the school day, with 85% of student guardians reporting an increased interest in cooking and the environment among their children at home. Additionally, 73% of guardians said their child is more excited to attend school on the days GSF offers classes.
“The garden experience allows all children to see the life cycles of plants, animals and insects up close. The cooking class is an invaluable experience for all who attend.” -Teacher at Mary W. Jackson
As we enter an unprecedented precarious climate for nonprofit funding and support for environmental programming like ours, we need your support now more than ever. Together, we can safeguard the values most important to us and ensure that our school gardens continue to thrive as sites of education, food sharing, and community. We’re counting on you.
Seed to Table student at Charnock Elementary
To our students, their school garden represents a chance to learn science, math, and nutrition by doing. Here’s what some GSF students had to say about their time in the garden and kitchen:
–"I loved finding out what each color fruit does for the body " -4th grader at 24t St
–"I really liked learning about our environment and about how to take care of it "- 4th grader
at Grand View
–“Because you get to learn where your food comes from, it makes you want to be thankful.” -4th grader at Mary W. Jackson
