On May 15, South Maui School Gardens Project joined Kihei Elementary School students, volunteers and our chef sponsors from Capische? and PrivateMauiChef.com to cater lunch for Hawai’i State Governor Neil Abercrombie and his staff, following a talk story event at the MACC. Lunches prepared with organic, school garden-grown produce also included the following letter encouraging statewide policy and funding support for school gardens – all received with great enthusiasm by The Gov! More about the lunch.
Aloha Gov. Abercrombie and Guests –
Your lunch today is made with produce grown by more than 650 students, teachers and community volunteers at Kihei Elementary School, and healthfully prepared by our chef sponsors from Capische? and PrivateMauiChef.com. Our gardens are thriving with strong support from the community. With your kokua, these living classrooms can inspire greater learning experiences and better nutrition for thousands of students in Hawai’i.
6 Things You Can Do to Help School Gardens Thrive in Hawai’i
1. A Garden in Every School: Create sustainable funding sources for school gardens and support development of “A Garden in Every School” program in Hawai’i.
2. Farm-to-School: Encourage the Departments of Education and Health to foster farm-to-school pilot programs.
3. Garden-to-School: Establish state guidelines that allow use of school garden produce in cafeterias and school nutrition programs.
4. Living Classrooms: Advocate for school gardens as integral outdoor learning environments to improve science, math, literacy, physical education and nutrition programs.
5. Curricula: Facilitate the creation of Hawai’i-based school garden curricula for K-12 students and professional development for teachers and garden educators.
6. Wellness & Organic Produce for All: Support programs which link school gardens with community wellness and local food system improvements.
About South Maui School Gardens Project
The South Maui School Gardens Project is dedicated to creating hands-on, learning experiences that cultivate curiosity about natural life cycles, connect students to their food sources, and inspire better nutrition choices. We help schools establish food gardens and living science labs in local schools and connect resources and curriculum support through community partnerships in agriculture, science, food education, and nutrition. The South Maui School Gardens Project is a nonprofit organization, sponsored by Tri-Isle RC&D. For more information, visit www.KiheiSchoolGarden.org.
Mahalo nui loa for helping to Grow Our Future!
