Garden programs positively influenced students' and teachers' lives in an impoverished community

This study investigated the results of a gardening program in an impoverished community in southern Florida. The goal of the gardening program was to reduce obesity and increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables for the primarily Hispanic community. Gardens were designed and installed in 28 schools and two community sites. Most of the 30 gardens were designed to reflect the children's Hispanic cultural roots by including food plants representing their Central America and Caribbean countries of origin. Student and teacher participation in the garden ranged from one to five hours per week.

During the fourth year of the project, coordinators from 27 of the sites completed an online garden-use survey including both close-ended and open-ended questions. Survey items focused on student and teacher demographics and garden-use outcomes. Specific garden-related questions addressed usability, curricular integration, movement/exercise capacities, and health benefits.

All of the garden coordinators indicated that the gardens were transformative for their students in that it changed their lives for the better. Eighty-nine percent of the teachers reported that eating what they grew was a positive motivator for children trying fruits and vegetables they were unfamiliar with. Seventy-four percent of the teachers reported that children were exercising more because of their experiences in the garden, and more than twenty-five percent of the teachers felt that there was also a reduction of obesity in the children as a result of the garden project.

Additional benefits cited included academic learning across all areas of the curriculum and the development of environmental stewardship. Thirty percent or the teachers reported that children's grades improved, and ninety-three percent indicated that children were more focused, confident, and displayed better on-task behaviors. There were positive effects on the teachers, as well. After participating in training for the project, many teachers – in addition to gaining garden-related knowledge and skills -- developed a passion for gardening.

Results of the survey indicated that the gardening project was successful in a number of ways. It not only served a much-needed health-related purpose in an impoverished community, it also fostered academic learning, community engagement, and environmental stewardship.