Urban Sprouts provides garden-based education programs in underserved San Francisco schools to build students' eco-literacy, health, and community, serving over 700 students annually; evaluation found that the programs increased students' nutrition knowledge and willingness to try new foods and improved healthy eating behaviors.

1. Growing healthier schools and communities through garden-based education
Lessons from our work: 2006 - 2009
February 9, 2010
CAFB Peer-to-Peer Networking Meeting
Abby Jaramillo, Executive Director

2. Presentation Overview
1. Who We Are
2. Our Program Model
3. Program Results
4. Successes, Challenges & Lessons Learned
5. Future Plans & Sustainability

3. Who We Are
OUR MISSION
By cultivating school gardens in
San Francisco‘s under-served
neighborhoods, Urban Sprouts
partners with youth and their
families to build eco-literacy, equity,
wellness, and community.

4. Our Programs
SUPPORTS LOW-INCOME SCHOOLS:
• Over 700 students/year in 7 San Francisco middle and high schools: in-school
sessions during science classes and electives
• 60% low-income students; 95% students of color.
SUPPORTS WIDER COMMUNITY:
• ‗Farmers-in-Residence‘ program allows parents to grow vegetables and swap
cooking knowledge
• ‗Summer Program‘ provides youth employment and leadership training
PROVIDES RESEARCH & TOOLS:
• Share our research results and program model through trainings and our website.

5. Our Community
Of the students at our Network-funded School Sites…
• 61% eligible for free or
reduced-price lunch
• 22% English Language
Learners (ELL)
• 90% failed to reach fitness
standards in all 6
categories (2006)

6. Our Community
Of the students at our Network-funded School Sites…
Ida B Wells
Continuation HS
• 61% eligible for free or (Alamo Sq)
reduced-price lunch
• 22% English Language
Learners (ELL) International
Studies Acad.
(Potrero Hill)
• 90% failed to reach fitness
standards in all 6
categories (2006) Aptos MS MLK MS
(Ingleside)
(Portola)
SF Community
(Excelsior)
June Jordan HS
(Excelsior)

7. Expenses FY 2009-2010
Expense Network Funds Non-Network Income
Funds
Salaries $53,842 $68,221
Taxes & Benefits $7,461 $5,834
Operating Expenses $1,376 $2,277
Program Supplies $2,196 $11,035
Travel & $3,021 $2,985
Conferences
Expenses
Evaluation $4,631 $880
Fiscal Sponsor Fee $8,690 $12,569
TOTAL $81,217 $103,801
Non-Network Income Sources: 30% private foundations, 43% local
government (Dept of Environment, Dept of Children, Youth and Families),
12% individual donations, 15% fees from partner schools.

8. Presentation Overview
1. Who We Are
2. Our Program Model
3. Program Results
4. Successes, Challenges & Lessons Learned
5. Future Plans & Sustainability

9. Discussion
In pairs, share your thoughts about the following question:
Think of a time as a young person when you felt
successful, like you were doing great things.
Describe to your partner:
– The people and places around you at that time.
– One personal strength or skill that you learned.
– One action that you were able to accomplish as a result.

10. Model for Garden-based Education (GBE) in K-12

11. Curricular Learning Environment
• Taste Tests
• Reading Nutrition Facts Food
Labels
• Skits and Poster-making
• 24-hour Food Diaries
Urban Sprouts students present
a skit on reading food labels.

12. Curricular Learning Environment
Network-Approved Curricular Materials
• The Growing Classroom: Garden-based
Science. Life Lab Science Program.
• Nutrition to Grow On. University of
California, Davis & California Department of
Education.
• Linking Food and the Environment (LiFE)
Series. Teachers College, Columbia
University.
• EatFit. UC Cooperative Extension.
• Harvest of the Month. Harvestofthemonth.org

13. Physical Learning Environment
• Exploring the garden
• Diverse food crops and perennials
• Harvesting, preparing and eating
food crops
• Appealing and interactive natural
environment
Garden signs reinforce learning at Life Lab Garden, Santa Cruz, CA

14. Social Learning Environment
• Cooperation with peers
• Responsibility for the garden
• Sharing your cultural identity
• Relationship-building with peers
and adults
• Safe space
• Peer teaching
• Meaningful work and learning
• Making school a better place
• Role models for healthy eating A parent mentors a student at a family Garden Work
Day, Burbank MS, San Francisco

15. Health Behaviors
• Fruit & Vegetable
Consumption
• Fruit & Vegetable
Preferences
• Physical Activity
Students harvest, cook, and eat collards, kale and other
greens from the garden at MLK MS, San Francisco.

16. Presentation Overview
1. Who We Are
2. Our Program Model
3. Program Results
4. Successes, Challenges & Lessons Learned
5. Future Plans & Sustainability

17. Program Evaluation: Data Collection
• School staff: personal interviews
• Students: focus group interviews
and computer pre/post-test surveys
• Urban Sprouts staff: staff member
assessment and program
observation

18. Sample Question from Online Student Survey

19. Sample Staff Curriculum Success Log
Curriculum Crops Garden
Curriculum Curriculum Success Garden to Activity Cooking Food
Topic Source Activity Rating Activities Plant Rating Activities Rating
Tai Chi Tool
Safety Freeze Bed Prep, Chard,
Summer Game, Soil Planting, Beets, Make
Soil Health Program Bins 2 Watering Lettuce 1 "humus" 2
Harvest
Food Cup o' Potatoes,
Labels, Summer Noodles Carrots,
5/20 Rule Program Activity 1 Celery. X 1 Stone Soup! 1

20. Evaluation Results: Summer Program, 2007-2009
NUTRITION KNOWLEDGE: Student post-test survey, 3 years combined:
• 72% reported an increase in knowledge of nutrition
• 60% reported their knowledge of nutrition as high or somewhat high (reached 92% in 2009)
Nutrition knowledge Nutrition knowledge
before summer program after summer program

21. Evaluation Results: Summer & School Programs, 2007-2009
ATTITUDES TOWARDS HEALTHY FOOD:
• 97% reported trying new foods during the program
• 57% said they ended up liking foods they thought
they wouldn‘t like
Students‘ preferences &
willingness to try new foods

22. Evaluation Results: Summer & School Programs, 2007-2009
HEALTHY EATING BEHAVIORS:
• 74% of students said that their eating
habits improved during the program
(2008, 2009)
One youth‘s response to the question,
―Have your eating habits changed?
―Yes, yes, yes! I don't eat so much candy, chips
and soda. I try to eat more fruits. I told my mom
about a lot of things I learned here and now she
goes to the grocery store and buys more fruits
and veggies.‖

23. Presentation Overview
1. Who We Are
2. Our Program Model
3. Program Results
4. Successes, Challenges & Lessons Learned
5. Future Plans & Sustainability

24. Successes
Where have we seen the most successes in our work?
Program reach and • In-class instruction: 742 middle/high school students
expansion • Additional after-school, summer, and family programs
Positive youth outcomes • Reported healthier behaviors and attitudes
• Academic and leadership development
School- and community- • Garden curriculum tailored to schools: reinforces the
learning environment
level outcomes
• Partnerships with community members and institutions

25. Challenges
What has been the most challenging part of our work?
Challenging school • Logistics & resources: staff turnover, inadequate funding
environments • School culture: stressed teachers, classroom management
Program sustainability • Helping schools take responsibility for school gardens
• Making school gardens a standard part of education
Wider food and social • Inadequate food access
environment • Other factors: socioeconomic status, home conditions

26. Lessons
What have we learned from these
experiences?
• Collaboration has been key to our success
• Growth helps us realize our strengths and
areas for improvement
• Youth and family leadership are required
for program success
• Demand for sharing our work

27. Future Plans & Sustainability
How will we attract new funding &
sustain our success?
• Strengthen our parent program with a food
access focus
• Board-directed strategic planning for new
funding sources
• Focus on visibility and take advantage of
current publicity
• New training program to expand our reach

28. Thank you for your
Participation!
―The ultimate goal of farming is not the
growing of crops, but the cultivation
and perfection of human beings.‖
—Masanobu Fukuoka

29. References
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: a social cognitive theory. Englewood
Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.
Benard, B. (2004). Resiliency: What we have learned. San Francisco, CA: WestED.
Desmond, D., Grieshop, J., & Subramaniam, A. (2002) Revisiting garden based learning in basic
education: Philosophical roots, historical foundations, best practices and
products, impacts, outcomes, and future directions. Davis, CA: University of California, Davis.
Lytle, L., & Achterberg, C. (1995). Changing the diet of America's children: What works and why. J Nutr
Educ, 27, 250-260.
Ratcliffe, M. M. (2007) Garden-based education in school settings: The effects on children‘s vegetable
consumption, vegetable preferences and ecoliteracy. Ph.D. Dissertation, Tufts University.

30. Contact Information
Urban Sprouts
451 Hayes St. 2nd Fl
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 287-0722
www.urbansprouts.org
Abby Jaramillo, Executive Director
abby@urbansprouts.org
Adriani Leon, Nutrition Educator
adriani@urbansprouts.org
Lisa Chen, Board Member and former
Nutrition Educator
lisa@urbansprouts.org