Embedded Files
We are raising funds to support our programs during 2026-27!
We provide support to school gardens and Living Schoolyards across OUSD to ensure that they are thriving parts of the school community! This includes seeds and plant starts, tools, hands-on technical assistance, policy guidance, and more!
We provide support to school gardens and Living Schoolyards across OUSD to ensure that they are thriving parts of the school community! This includes seeds and plant starts, tools, hands-on technical assistance, policy guidance, and more!
School gardens provide urban children access to nature and reflect each child's inherent right to the following:
Access to healthy, locally-produced food
Understanding of food systems and the natural cycle
Social, economic and health justice
Hands-on alternatives to testing-based instruction
Self-reliance and character-building opportunities
Connection to local community
Freshly planted starts!
Seed & Start
Seed & Start
Our Seed & Start program out of The Center greenhouse is conducted in partnership with the UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners. We work together to curate and grow the plants, care for them, and assemble the Seed and Start requests that go out to OUSD school gardens. In the 2024-25 school year, we provided 9,520 plants (a value of $43,136) and 1,661 seeds (a value of $3,556) to OUSD school gardens!
Hands-On Consultations
Hands-On Consultations
EFG Programs team members visit OUSD school gardens and provide hands-on technical assistance to support EFG Champions and other school site staff with maintaining and improving their school gardens.
The Center staff performing a Hands-On Consultation
Hands-On Lessons in Schools
Hands-On Lessons in Schools
EFG Programs team members provide in-person lessons on the environment, food, and gardens at our schools!
Summer Garden Stewards
Summer Garden Stewards
Each summer, we provide a stipend to Summer Garden Stewards across OUSD to maintain school gardens to support summer programming and ensure they are ready for the return of students in the fall! During summer 2025, we had 31 Summer Garden Stewards at 30 OUSD sites.
Summer Bounty from MetWest
The Living Schoolyards initiative is in collaboration with several OUSD departments and external partners. This initiative aims to redesign paved-over schoolyards into dynamic, joyful play spaces for health, wellness, and academic success.
Please refer to the policies and guidelines below for more information about School Gardens & Living Schoolyards in OUSD. For a detailed overview and impacts of Living Schoolyards, check out the district website here.
18-2504 Board Policy - Facilities Living Schoolyard- BP 7110.pdfLiving Schoolyards Policy (Board Policy 7110.1)
Living Schoolyards Policy (Board Policy 7110.1)
Through this Board Policy on Living Schoolyards the Board seeks to ensure that OUSD’s school grounds support and strengthen the District’s commitment to children’s well-being, environmental resilience, community engagement, and equity.
OUSD Living Schoolyard Guidelines (published Nov. 2022).pdfLiving Schoolyard Guidelines
Living Schoolyard Guidelines
These Guidelines outline the design principles, components, materials, and processes needed to plan, implement, and manage outdoor play and learning environments that foster climate resiliency, community cohesion, health, and nature connection.
School Garden Toolkit
School Garden Toolkit
A user friendly manual containing easy to read chapters on all components of starting, developing, enhancing, stewarding, and utilizing an OUSD school garden.
Relevant tools, resources, and forms are linked in the RESOURCES section of the toolkit (Page 60 on).
Page updated
Report abuse