School Gardens“Ideas Verdes”

Background: Puerto Rico

U.S. TerritoryPopulation: 3.6 million Import 95% of all goodsAgriculture is one of the

smallest segments of its economy. Only 7%.

Cost of living is 13% higher than the median for US Cities.

Background: Puerto Rico “Puerto Rico is twice as poor than the poorest State of the United States” Healthy food is more expensive than healthy food. Fast Food invasion Expensive healthy food + Cheap junk food + Poverty=

Background: Puerto Rico’s Economic Evolution1898 – U.S. Invasion1899- Paris Treaty1900- Foraker Act1917- Jones Act1938- P.R.E.R.A.1952- Commonwealth of Puerto Rico1952- IRS Tax Exemption Secc. 9361992- Pro Statehood Movement1996- Gradual elimination of Secc.936 start2004- End of Secc. 9362005-2014 Debt Balloon

Source of Inspiration and ideasYouth Leadership Summit for Sustainable

Development- Martha’s VineyardIsland Grown Schools

Martha’s Vineyard – 5 months growing seasonPuerto Rico- ALL YEAR LONG!

Finding OpportunitiesPuerto Rico in 2010:- Government was investing millions to set-up a pipeline for natural gas.- It was called “Green Way”- Interest of Government into “green ideas”- School Yard Habitat Program – Matching funds available for P.R.- Funds had to be used in less than 8 months.- A group of people got together to set a plan and apply for the grant.- The plan was done in 3 weeks.- The grant was approved in December 2009- School year ends in may.- What was it about?

School Gardens: the challenge• 150 elementary public schools• 5,000 students• 300 teachers• Educational Staff: 45• Administrative Staff: 25• School Busses 200• P.R. Parks and Recreation Agency Partnership (Cash solvency problem)• 550 field trips

School Garden Project Objectives1- Teach the students the importance of planting their own food.2-Get their families involved.3-Use the science class twice a week to discuss environmental issues.4-Create awareness of food independence.5- Integrate science curriculum to improve their skills for national tests.

School Garden Project: Special ED School

• Plan:• Meet with all the faculty to present the project.• Some of them were resistent about the capacity

of their students to learn or to handle planting tools.

• Independent living course integration.

• Hands on:• Hired 2 special ed teachers and a sign language

translator• Adapted the content of the curriculum. • Students were excited with the idea of the

garden.

School Garden Project: Special ED School

• Outcome:• Teachers were impressed on how some autistic

students were motivated to interact with others when they were seeing the plants growing.

• Governor’s wife heard about the project and went personally to see it.

• At the end, Secretary of Education and the First Lady signed an agreement to permanently integrate the School Garden Curriculum to the Independent Living Course.

School Garden Project: Outcomes• Students expanded their school gardens and many other teachers got involved.• Students had the opportunity to have fieldtrips to ecological parks around the

Island. In fact, more than 550 field trips were coordinated.• Students impacted by the program improved by 15% in the science standardized

test vs. students that didn’t participate.• Students in some schools provided their crops to be used in the school cafeteria.• Entrepreneurial spirit was ignited, students started to sell pumpkin crops to local

supermarkets.• The response to the program was so positive, that for the school year 2010-2011

by order of the Secretary of Education 500 schools were included into the program. 17,000 students were impacted and 350 new school gardens were added.