Tomas O’Grady, Enrich LA’s co-founder, was inspired to create the non-profit three years ago. The dream began with one edible garden. Today, EnrichLA has built 103 gardens in schools all over L.A. It is considered to be the largest garden non-profit in the nation.
The Garden Ranger Program
A school garden is only as good as what’s growing in it, and only useful to a school if the students are actually using it. With this realization, EnrichLA created ‘The Garden Ranger Program‘. Every school has a trained garden ranger consistently on site to attend to the garden. The program provides place-based learning opportunities for the students. It also offers fun lesson plans with topics such as nutrition, healthy living, gardening, and environmental stewardship.
I feel privileged to call myself a ‘Garden Ranger‘. 🙂
Nature is our most powerful teacher.
This is my favorite kind of classroom! A learning environment connecting kids to their food source fuels their curiosity and soothes their anxieties. It also teaches them about responsibility and respect for all living things. At the same time, helping them stay active and healthy.
Meanwhile, the childhood obesity rate is still rising. Thus, it is paramount that we connect our children to the source of “real” food. If students only have access to vending machines full of processed, sugar-ladened ‘dead food’, then they are in a system that’s ultimately failing them. This complete disconnect from nature can lead to “nature deficit disorder”. Kids become overweight, anxious, and depressed. Eventually, if we can give children across America access to simple whole foods, then we can begin to make a real change.
Kids will eat what they grow!
When a child gets to experience the joy of growing, harvesting, preparing, and eating simple whole foods, they start to gain a new appreciation for real food. They become empowered to make better food choices. These gardens act as catalysts to show students just how versatile, delicious, and FUN healthy food can be!
An edible garden broadens a child’s awareness of the world and inspires them to value our habitat.
The simple act of spending time in the garden teaches children about responsibility, teamwork, cooperation, and respect. STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education is in place to teach hands-on learning in the garden. In effect, this firsthand experience helps children build a stronger understanding of those concepts. This is most beneficial especially for children who respond better with reality-based teaching.
Much like handling this seedling: we support, empower, enrich, and spread love to all students. We eagerly watch them grow. We see their potential. And, we do everything that we can for them to bloom bigger and brighter!
No Comments