Youth Garden Educational Program Coordinator

Basic Information

Grade Level: K-5
Address: 803 Fawn Place, Santa Barbara, CA 93105
Person of Contact: Judy Sims
Phone Number: 805-637-3201

Action Shots

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Additional Information

Student Size: various groups in Santa Barbara County
Student/Teacher Ratio: varies with activity from several classes to 1/2 class
Number of Teachers: project-involved teachers is about 40 at about 20 schools in SB County
Hours/Week: 40 hrs. per week as coordinator
Funding: Grants
Gardens (Sq. Feet): average per school is 300
Program Highlights:

developing gardens and growing food, with the goal of connecting students and schools to a healthier lifestyle

Mission Statement:

see s'Cool Food at www.sCoolFood.org and s'Cool Gardens information, Orfalea Foundation
http://scoolfood.org/go/projects/school-gardens/mission-and-objectives/

Philosophy/Belief Statement:

through gardening, students will improve their eating habits (see website, above)

Program History:

s'Cool Gardens grew out of a s'Cool Food initiative several years ago when it was clear that an important way to help improve student eating attitudes and habits was through involvement in school gardening

Volunteer Participation: Community and school volunteers are very much a part of building and maintaining the school garden programs.
Program Information:

 Judy Sims was a coordinator for the original s'Cool Gardens team, following her retirement from many years of teaching and incorporating garden education into her on-going elementary school teaching.  During her decades of teaching at Monte Vista Elementary School in the Hope School District of Santa Barbara, she developed vegetable gardens, worm farms, recycling programs, a salad bar lunch program (that became district-wide), a half-acre native plant nature trail (focused on ethnobotany) and a 3,000 sq. ft. orchard garden.  Retiring in 2005, Judy continued helping various teachers and schools in garden education.  In 2009 she was invited to participate in developing a county-wide school garden education program, which came to be called s'Cool Gardens.  Judy completed the pilot year with this program (noted in above garden information statements), and has continued to be a garden education consultant and volunteer, while also volunteering at a local Whole Foods market for special Kids' Club programs featuring healthy eating.