Sams Valley Elementary School

I personally represent a few programs. As a Foodcorps service member I am part of a nationwide team of Americorps leaders who help connect kids to real food and help them to grow up healthy. 

At Rogue Valley Farm to School, we seek to educate "children about our food system through hands-on farm and garden programs, and by increasing local foods in school meals. We inspire an appreciation of local agriculture that improves the economy and environment of our community and the health of its members." RVF2S serves a wide demographic of students across Jackson and Josephine County in Southern Oregon through a myraid of programs during the school year and summer.  We bring students to working farms and to learn about many subjects (insects, compost, seeds) and they particpate in harvesting food and preparing it for a "harvest meal" together.  School gardens are a large part of the programming, as well as running tasting tables at school cafeterias and summer camps.

Sams Valley Elementary School (SVE)  is dedicated to teaching kids where their food comes from, how to grow vegetables, and how and why it's important to eat healthy.  The garden serves a population of lower income rural students.  The majority of kids at SVE are white at 74%, there is a 15% hispanic population, 8% mixed race and 3% of other students of color. The garden had tremendous draw and the kids just love spending time in there.

I am a very hands on teacher and I am making sure that the kids are planting all the seeds and doing the majority of the growing of the garden! I try to empower each student with tasks and responsibilites that they are interested in, and I create an inviting and comfortable atmsophere so that the kids trust me to ask for what they want. They are very committed to their ongoing projects and I take their lead when they want to put their energy into them (building and painting signs, stuffing scarecrows, hauling woodchips for the paths..).  I believe that it helps produce ownership and concern for the garden.  The kids care so much and are so excited to learn and they learn by doing: we eat flowers and leaves and take time to search for aphids and other insects that are helping or hurting the plants.