Skyline School Garden Program

Skyline Elementary is a public school which serves the children of Solana Beach.  The enrollment is currently 550 children, in grades Kindergarten to sixth grade.  Twenty-two percent of the school population is at or below the poverty line.  The goal of the school's garden program is to involve each student in the curriculum throughout each school year.  The mission is to try to reduce the increasing rate of diabetes and obesity among children. It is the hope that upon graduation from Skyline, each student will have a solid understanding and appreciation for the process by which food is grown, harvested, and prepared.  Being exposed to food which they grow and cook themselves, they may be more likely to make healthier food choices and to share these healthier choices with their families. 

The garden instructor works with each class in the garden for 6-8 weeks during the school year.  Each class, depending upon grade level, spends 30-60 minutes in the garden once each week.  The curriculum changes seasonally, and is dependent upon what is growing at that time in the garden, and what garden tasks need to be accomplished.  At some point in their garden session students get the opportunity to cook something using the garden produce.  The cooking sessions occur in a classroom, the teachers' lounge kitchen, or outdoors, utilizing the cooking cart provided by The Sage Garden Project.

Another important component of the program is educating children about the importance of using their resources wisely.  The garden utilizes a compost bin, as well as a vermicompost bin.  Hopefully, by engaging in a fun, vibrant learning environment, the children will learn that they are partly responsible for the resources which they will have in their future.