An edible schoolyard is a great tool to provide real-life experiences and to help students make the connection of how vegetables and fruit move from the seed to table. Developed as part of the Minnesota Statewide Health Improvement Program Initiative, this guide walks through developing a school garden as a key strategy to creating healthier schools. View Resource »
Incorporating School Garden Language Into a School Wellness Policy
Research supports school gardening as a strategy to improve childhood health. Incorporating school garden language into a school wellness policy increases the sustainability of the school garden. Such language ensures students far into the future will benefit from the garden. This document serves as a guide for effectively integrating school garden language into a school wellness policy. To learn more about the importance of school wellness policies and the gardenrelated activities they support, see the Wisconsin School Garden Initiative Brief: Improving Health with School Wellness Policies. Download Brief »
Improving Health with School Wellness Policies
School wellness policies are a tool to promote student health. Identifying goals for nutrition and physical activity helps schools create healthy students. This document provides an overview of school wellness policy history, outlines policy requirements, and suggests activities for inclusion. For ideas and sample language for including school gardens into a school wellness policy, see the Wisconsin School Garden Initiative Brief: Incorporating School Garden Language into a School Wellness Policy. Download Brief »
Advancing Farm to School: Lessons from the Field
This document contains a collection of recommended resources and “lessons learned,” from fourteen organizations that each received a Community Transformation Grant in 2011. The grantees were asked to prioritize farm to school as the main strategy for achieving healthy food systems access and obesity prevention. We especially enjoyed the chapters on Integrating Farm to School in School-Based Policies, Cultivating Prosperous Community Gardens, and Striving for Farm to School Sustainability! View Resource »
Outdoor Classrooms for School-Age Learners
Digging for worms, manipulating waterways, and exploring our surroundings know no age limit. Outdoor classrooms are ripe with opportunities for students of all ages to better understand and engage in the world around them. This brief outlines the benefits of outdoor classrooms, suggests elements to include when designing one, and highlights one Wisconsin school that has successfully expanded its classroom learning beyond the school’s four walls. Download Brief »
