This document discusses several community garden projects in Arlington and Alexandria that aim to promote healthy eating and physical activity among youth. It outlines specific school and after-school garden programs, as well as the goals of providing nutrition education, increasing fruit and vegetable consumption, and fostering youth development. The final section describes Project PLANTS, an after-school garden club program sponsored by USDA that involves gardening, physical activity, and healthy snacks for elementary students.

1. Grow, Eat and Learn
Workshop and Discussion
January 14, 2011

2. Projects in Arlington and Alexandria
include…
• Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC)
Plant a Row
• School Food Services
F2T and Schoolyard 2 Cafeteria
• Lawns 2 Lettuces 4 Lunch
Ashlawn Elementary School
• Peter Rabbit Garden
Tuckahoe Elementary School
• Alexandria Elementary Schools
• Tancil Court, Alexandria
• Virginia Gardens, Arlington
• George Washington Middle School
Community Gardens
• Williamsburg, Kenmore, Gunston Middle
Schools
• Area High Schools e.g. TC Williams
• Arlington Career Center

3. Why?
ISSUES GOALS
• Physical Activity • Change Body Mass Index
– CDC recommends 60 mins – Decrease sedentary behavior
a day moderate activity and increase fruit/veg
consumption
• Healthy Eating
– USDA recommends “5 a
• Provide research-based
day” education
– Food production, consumption,
• Environmental waste and energy cycles
Education/Outdoor
• Increase community
Learning
– Some research supports
connections
children benefit from being • Foster youth development
and learning outdoors

4. Educational Resources
• Age appropriate
• Context appropriate
• VA Standards of
Learning linkage

5. Project PLANTS
Promoting Lifelong Activity and Nutrition Through
Schools
After-School Garden Clubs
• USDA sponsored
• Four elementary schools
• Twice a week, 1.5 hour sessions
with 4th and 5th graders
• Club activities: healthy snack,
physical activity, gardening,
clean-up, journal and reflection

6. Project PLANTS
Promoting Lifelong Activity and Nutrition Through
Schools
Parent-Home Component
• Garden Newsletter
tips and recipes
• “Take-Home” questions
• Garden Plants
with care instructions

7. Project PLANTS
Promoting Lifelong Activity and Nutrition Through
Schools
Volunteer Program
• Cooperative Extension train,
mentor and support volunteers
• Volunteers include school staff,
after-school staff, MG, PTA,
and wider community
• Collaborative group of
volunteers work together and
connect to school/community

8. Imagine….

9. Arlington Traditional School
I Can Grow Vegetable Garden
Club
For the Burpee 2011 I Can Grow Youth Garden Award

10. March 17 2009. Bare earth.
Scout families begin the veg patch and plant.
We water and wait…

11. Three weeks later - June 10 2009.
Picking the first radish. WOW!
… and it’s delicious!

12. Learn to grow, look after and harvest
vegetables.
• The soccer team
harvests chili
peppers and
cinnamon basil.
• We take the first
donation of
vegetables from
school to the
Arlington Food
Assistance Center.

13. Our Second Year Growing Vegetables at ATS.
March 2010.
First Grade and K plant lettuce, radishes, kale,
and carrots…
… in a special 4 - 0 shape. Why?

14. …To Celebrate 40th Earth Day 2010!
Everyone tours the garden.
69 Second Graders harvest, prepare
and eat kale with lunch.
The first students cook and taste our
school-grown vegetables!

15. The Fourth Grade 4-H group
adds another bed to the vegetable patch.
We study water and compost -
that’s on the VA Standards of Learning!

16. If we win the Burpee I Can Grow
2011 Youth Garden Award….we will
• Establish an I Can
Grow after-school club
• Plant and maintain our
vegetable garden
• Meet regularly every
week
• Build friendships and
community connections
• Learn science, healthy
life styles and more!

17. Next steps…
• Networks
• Information exchange
• Research
• Funding