Oct 20, 2006

California Launches School Garden WeekSource: California School Garden Network

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared Oct. 21-27, 2006, as California School Garden Week. This past weekend California First Lady Maria Shriver was scheduled to help kick off the inaugural California School Garden Week at Locke High School in Los Angeles. The event is organized by the California School Garden Network (CSGN).

Schools throughout California will be participating in special garden activities and events to celebrate the success of school gardens and to raise awareness for programs, support systems and resources that are available to schools.

“California School Gardens are a great way to bring students, teachers, families and communities together for a worthwhile cause that beautifies California schools and teaches children about the importance of environmental stewardship,” Shriver said. Shriver is the honorary chair of CSGN.

Locke High School was selected by CSGN to receive a school garden makeover where students, teachers and community members will maintain a new garden at the school. The school also will be implementing horticulture classes that teach students about the environment and agriculture using a hands-on learning approach.

“We are excited that when the garden is planted we will have an area for an outdoor classroom where teachers can use the garden to teach math, art, science or any other discipline,” said Dr. Frank Wells, principal at Locke High School.

CSGN also is releasing a new book titled Gardens for Learning: Creating and Sustaining Your School Garden. The book is an instructional resource for teachers, parents and schools interested in creating a garden. For more information on the book, go to www.csgn.org.