Join us for our first network meeting of the year in February! 

Emily and I are so excited to start another year of the School Garden Leadership Network. Last year we met with 26 folks from 22 different schools. We are so thankful to get to know each one of you and your unique school gardens. As we continue to grow this community of support we have some fun plans and news ways of engagement for this year. Whether its joining us for our quarterly in person meetings, garden workshops, or our specialty school workshops we look forward to seeing you!

Save the Date

• IN-PERSON @ WCG CAMPUS: February 15, Time: 4:30pm-6pm  RSVP: HERE
  
• VIRTUAL: No virtual session this quarter, if a virtual session is the only way you can engage with us please email Emily Buchi (emily@wasatchgardens.org)
  

Every meeting will include a classroom/lesson-related snack and a presentation followed by peer to peer discussions surrounding school garen topics.

 Our February meeting will have topics such as goals and overview of what our year will look like as a network, exploring different models of engagement at your garden, and hearing what you all would like from this network.

Our seed inventory is full of great crops to try this year. Come grab your seed packets for your school and meet other folks in the community!

Do you know anyone who is interested in joining this network? Register below!

This December Emily and I participated in the SGSO Leadership Institute in Santa Cruz. During the institute not only did we learn about new tools and resources to further support school gardens in Utah, but we visited several school gardens that provide wonderful examples of what school programs can look like across the country. 

On our last day at the institute we drove down the pacific coast to Davenport to visit the wonderful students and director that runs the FoodLab program at Pacific Elementary School. This school connects their garden education program into their FoodLab nutrition program. Throughout the year the garden is used for outdoor classroom activities and lessons and the food they grow goes directly into their school lunch program. The FoodLab program utilizes their kitchen as a classroom where 5th-6th grade students are involved in the whole process of the school meal program. Every week the students plan, prepare, and create lunch for the whole school with Emelia, their FoodLab director. Through this program students get first hand experience connecting what is grown in the garden to their own plate. We had an opportunity to learn about the program from a Q + A from the students while we were eating a delicious meal that their class prepared for us. During this time we learned that all of their ingredients come from local farms and their own school garden. They take turns practicing different roles in the kitchen and work together to decide what their peers are going to eat that week. Many of the kids showed great confidence and pride in their program and are going to present their unique program at the Growing School Gardens Summit. If you want to learn more about FoodLab and their program at Pacific Elementary School visit their website here: https://www.pacificesd.org/school-lunch.html