Schoolyard to Market

Schoolyard to Market is a youth development and entrepreneurship program launched in January 2011 by the Center for Urban Education About Stustainable Agriculture (CUESA) in partnership with the San Francisco Green Schoolyard Alliance (SFGSA) at three San Francisco Unified School District high schools (John O’Connell High School in the Mission District, Life Learning Academy on Treasure Island, and June Jordan School of Equity in the Excelsior, where we are working with Urban Sprouts to implement the program).

Students are growing produce and vegetable seedlings in their school gardens and selling them at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. The students get hands-on experience in the garden and take field trips to the farmers market and local farms. They also learn about running a successful business, with advice from local farmers, school garden managers, and other experts.

Through this program, the youth gain valuable life and job skills like critical thinking, and customer service. They come away with a greater appreciation for gardening and an understanding of where their food comes from. The Schoolyard to Market program also aims to improve students’ health and well-being. It encourages physical activity, and 93% of the students surveyed in the pilot semester said they enjoyed fruits and vegetables more after participating in the program.