The School Garden Program is dedicated to growing healthier and smarter kids by using school gardens as an educational tool. School gardens provide an amazing opportunity to engage students, teachers, parents, and volunteers, but they also offer their own unique challenges. We understand these challenges and are here to lend you helping hand!
We are excited to support to school gardens in the following ways:
- By offering field trips through Wasatch Community Gardens' Youth Garden Program.
- With our garden curriculums. These year-long guides get your class out in the garden and learning!
- Through our resources page which include tips on everything from keeping a food safe garden to suggested garden design elements and how to execute them!
- Programming consultations with the School and Family Garden Manager. Email Kimberly Yapias (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) to chat about your garden-centered curriculum, and guidance for engaging your students in outdoor learning.
- Sign up for our school garden program newsletter: every season we provide resources including garden curriculum, external grant opportunities, school garden highlights, general garden season tips, and WCG events and workshops.
What is the School Garden Program
Wasatch Community Gardens' School Garden Program aims to be a resource of schools and garden leaders in the Salt Lake valley in support of schools having successful sustainable school gardens. We know that running a school garden has different needs and challenges from most other community gardens. WCG plans to strategically support schools by focusing on the three fundamentals of leadership,programming and space of successful school gardens. WCG is here to support those needs; whether it's supporting a school in getting their garden going, providing support through changes in garden leadership, or helping educators incorporate the garden into their classrooms. We will work to help you reach the next level of growing and eating fresh foods in your garden!
School Garden Leadership Network
The School Garden Leadership Network is available to educators, administrators, and community members in the Salt Lake City School District, and Salt Lake Valley that are interested in being part of a group focused on further developing their school gardens or have a general interest in school gardens. The goal of this network is to create a group where members can connect, receive guidance and resources from WCG, know what other school gardens are doing, and dialogue on specific school garden topics.
Learn more about the School Garden Leadership Network - check out our flyer!
Our 2024 School Garden Leadership Network meetings will be held IN-PERSON on our Wasatch Community Garden Campus on the following dates:
- February 15th, 2024 4:30pm-6:00pm
- April 2024, Date and Time TBD
- September 2024, Date and Time TBD
In the in-between months of these meetings folks will receive a newsletter that provides resources including garden curriculum, external grant opportunities, school garden highlights, general garden season tips, and WCG events and workshops.
If you are interested in joining the school garden leadership network or to receive newsletters, please fill out this form.
Growing Knowledge: School Garden Leadership Network Newsletter
Our School Garden Leadership Network newsletter offers readers bimonthly news regarding Leadership Network updates, gardening resources, grant opportunities and upcoming Wasatch Community Gardens events. View past issues below, and please fill out this form to receive the newsletter.
Prior Newsletter Issues
If you have general questions about community or school gardens, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Youth & School Gardens Program Director, or call at 801.359.2658.
Family Garden Gatherings
Family Garden Gatherings is a family-school engagement program available to qualifying schools in the Salt Lake City School District. Every week WCG and a family advocate invite families to learn and connect through culture in foods, healthy living, and lifelong garden learning in their school garden. This program is a great way to have families feel welcome in your school garden space and to have more engagement and support for the gardens.