School gardens were introduced in 150 public elementary schools in Puerto Rico to teach students about food independence and integrate gardening into the science curriculum. The program was so successful that it improved science test scores by 15% and motivated special needs students. It expanded to 500 schools impacting 17,000 students and adding 350 new school gardens. The positive response from students, teachers, and officials led to the permanent inclusion of gardening in the science curriculum.

1. School Gardens
“Ideas Verdes”

2. Background: Puerto Rico
 U.S. Territory
 Population: 3.6 million
 Import 95% of all goods
 Agriculture is one of the
smallest segments of its
economy. Only 7%.
 Cost of living is 13% higher
than the median for US Cities.

3. Background: Puerto Rico
 “Puerto Rico is twice as poor than the poorest State of the United States”
 Healthy food is more expensive than healthy food.
 Fast Food invasion
 Expensive healthy food + Cheap junk food + Poverty=

4. Background: Puerto Rico’s Economic
Evolution
1898 – U.S. Invasion
1899- Paris Treaty
1900- Foraker Act
1917- Jones Act
1938- P.R.E.R.A.
1952- Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
1952- IRS Tax Exemption Secc. 936
1992- Pro Statehood Movement
1996- Gradual elimination of Secc.936 start
2004- End of Secc. 936
2005-2014 Debt Balloon

5. Source of Inspiration and ideas
Youth Leadership Summit for Sustainable
Development- Martha’s Vineyard
Island Grown Schools
Martha’s Vineyard – 5 months growing season
Puerto Rico- ALL YEAR LONG!

6. Finding Opportunities
Puerto Rico in 2010:
- Government was investing millions to set-up a pipeline for natural gas.
- It was called “Green Way”
- Interest of Government into “green ideas”
- School Yard Habitat Program – Matching funds available for P.R.
- Funds had to be used in less than 8 months.
- A group of people got together to set a plan and apply for the grant.
- The plan was done in 3 weeks.
- The grant was approved in December 2009
- School year ends in may.
- What was it about?

7. School Gardens: the challenge
• 150 elementary public schools
• 5,000 students
• 300 teachers
• Educational Staff: 45
• Administrative Staff: 25
• School Busses 200
• P.R. Parks and Recreation Agency Partnership (Cash solvency problem)
• 550 field trips

8. School Garden Project Objectives
1- Teach the students the importance of planting their own food.
2-Get their families involved.
3-Use the science class twice a week to discuss environmental issues.
4-Create awareness of food independence.
5- Integrate science curriculum to improve their skills for national tests.

9. School Garden Project: Special ED School
• Plan:
• Meet with all the faculty to present the project.
• Some of them were resistent about the capacity of
their students to learn or to handle planting tools.
• Independent living course integration.
• Hands on:
• Hired 2 special ed teachers and a sign language
translator
• Adapted the content of the curriculum.
• Students were excited with the idea of the garden.

10. School Garden Project: Special ED School
• Outcome:
• Teachers were impressed on how some autistic
students were motivated to interact with others
when they were seeing the plants growing.
• Governor’s wife heard about the project and
went personally to see it.
• At the end, Secretary of Education and the First
Lady signed an agreement to permanently
integrate the School Garden Curriculum to the
Independent Living Course.

11. School Garden Project: Outcomes
• Students expanded their school gardens and many other teachers got involved.
• Students had the opportunity to have fieldtrips to ecological parks around the
Island. In fact, more than 550 field trips were coordinated.
• Students impacted by the program improved by 15% in the science standardized
test vs. students that didn’t participate.
• Students in some schools provided their crops to be used in the school cafeteria.
• Entrepreneurial spirit was ignited, students started to sell pumpkin crops to local
supermarkets.
• The response to the program was so positive, that for the school year 2010-2011
by order of the Secretary of Education 500 schools were included into the
program. 17,000 students were impacted and 350 new school gardens were
added.