24th Street Elementary

Jefferson Park / West Adams
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Our Flagship Garden — The incredible one-acre edible garden at 24th Street is GSF’s original site, where we put down our roots as an organization in 2005. Harnessing the rich diversity of its students, 24th St. works to instill a sense of social justice in the student body, and a deep respect for lines of difference. The school empowers students with the critical thinking and social-emotional skills needed for today’s world. This ethos, and the ongoing commitment of school leadership, teachers, and parents, has fueled our successful partnership with 24th St. for over a decade. As one of the largest such gardens in LAUSD, 24th St. continues to thrive as a treasured resource, deeply embedded in the lives of students’ families, neighbors, and like-minded urban gardeners from across the city. Together with a Circle Garden for reading and a Native Oak Woodland habitat, the 24th Street gardens include fruit and shade trees, 35 raised beds, native plantings, and a major compost operation. As the heart and soul of GSF, 24th St. is where we continue to pilot our most ambitious programs and experiments! Garden Educator: Laura Saenz

“Garden class is an amazing asset to our curriculum. Children learn so much from the garden and the way compost works. Mrs. Saenz does an amazing job planning lessons that go with the developmental levels for each grade. She is thorough and well-organized. We learn about growth, trying new foods, following directions, and being able to see how important food is for our bodies.” -2ND GRADE TEACHER OF 10+ YEARS AT 24TH STREET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

“If I was planting a seed, and it was a strawberry and I love strawberries, and I was planting it and I wouldn’t be like “this is too much work” I would persevere and plant it and water it and let the sun take care of it.”
— STUDENT AT 24TH STREET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

99th Street Elementary

South L.A.
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99th Street is a culturally-responsive community that works to ensure that all students succeed and are prepared for the 21st Century. 99th St. aims to partner with families and communities to inspire a passion for learning and empower students with the tools to be independent, creative, and critical thinkers. Refurbished by GSF in the summer of 2021, their impressive garden features thirteen garden beds alongside a lush outdoor classroom where GSF’s Seed to Table classes are currently held. 99th St. is part of the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools – an independent nonprofit that manages 19 LAUSD campuses in the communities of Boyle Heights, South L.A., and Watts. Garden Educator: Doris Kiambati

Annalee Elementary School

Carson
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Annalee held its first classes in fall 1965 and continues to uphold its mission to provide students and families with a supportive and academically rigorous experience. Today as a STEAM school, Annalee boasts a dedicated team of teachers and staff who encourage high expectations for success while celebrating individual differences and learning styles. In the summer of 2019, GSF partnered with the Los Angeles Galaxy Foundation to rebuild and expand the garden, adding ten new raised garden beds and native plantings, transforming the space into a thriving outdoor classroom. Garden Educator: Stefan Henschke

“I find the school garden at Annalee to be absolutely wonderful!  The signage is engaging and informative.  It is clear that the entire Annalee Community enjoys the garden as well because you will oftentimes find someone either taking care of the garden or just simply “taking in” the sight of it.” 
– ANN JACKSON, VICE PRINCIPAL

“I really enjoy harvesting and tasting in garden class. I want to plant more.” -4TH GRADE STUDENT

Palms
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Charnock Road Elementary develops lifelong scholars who are curious, persistent and tenacious problem solvers who are able to critically evaluate and monitor their own knowledge. With a stable, experienced faculty and committed community support, Charnock has embarked on an ambitious school improvement program. Through a focus on rigorous, standards-based instruction and innovative family education and community outreach programs, Charnock has become an API 800+ Honor School, a Title I Reward School, and Common Core Lab School. In fall 2022, GSF partnered with Charnock to provide Seed to Table programming and rehabilitate the on-campus garden, adding eight raised beds, a variety of native plants, two outdoor classroom areas, mulch pathways, and brightly painted signs to welcome students! Garden Educator: Alejandra Mendoza

Gardner Elementary School

Hollywood
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Building on a solid tradition of student-centered problem-solving strategies, Gardner Street Elementary School puts students at the heart of learning. Teachers pose questions to tap into their students’ thinking to understand how students are solving problems. In-classroom lessons are supplemented by hands-on experiences in the garden. In Fall 2023 Garden School Foundation refurbished the existing garden where Seed to Table classes currently take place. In a fast-paced world where things are delivered and often pre-made, children are losing the connection and understanding that all we eat and use comes from the earth. In the garden, students at Gardner will learn the properties of soil, the influence of living organisms on various crops, how to maintain and care for plants, and various benefits of plants on our bodies when consumed as whole, raw foods. Through GSF’s Seed to Table Program, Gardner Elementary is achieving its goal of bringing every child an experience with science, nature and healthy food through gardening. Garden Educator: Janelle Jimenez

“The act of growing your own food and cooking it, witnessing the farm-to-table process first-hand, can be life changing.  There is so much power in that ownership. Building that foundation in the hearts and minds of our children, sparking that concept, I am grateful for Garden School Foundation teaching our youth this necessary skill.”  -SHERRY ROMITO, PARENT AT GARDNER ELEMENTARY

Mar Vista
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Grand View is committed to promoting student achievement based on a culturally relevant and responsive education and a culture of continuous improvement. The school has many distinct programs, including one of LAUSD’s longest running Spanish Immersion Programs, and the Grand View West instructional support teams for children with special needs. GSF has been working with the community’s students since Fall 2013. Together with teachers, administrators, parents, and community volunteers, we built two new garden spaces for the students, and a third garden expansion was completed in 2018. Students of all backgrounds and abilities can harvest right outside the door of our dedicated kitchen classroom at Grand View to cook some of the freshest produce in urban L.A.! Our work at Grand View is supported in part by the generous support of the Mar Vista Farmers Market. Garden Educator: Helen Burak

“Our school garden is a safe haven for many of our students because regardless of their academic level, language limitations, and/or health challenges they can engage/enjoy in hands on activities. At the same time, our school garden challenges our students to become explorers and make direct connections in science, health and math taking their learning to a deeper level of understanding.”
— ROSARIO BENAVIDES, 1ST GRADE DUAL LANGUAGE TEACHER AT  GRAND VIEW ELEMENTARY

“[My daughter] asked me to serve her veggies more often at dinner time, which encourages me to make it happen nearly everyday now. I like that GSF teaches her to be healthy and to enjoy nature. Win, win!”
— PARENT AT GRAND VIEW BLVD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Leapwood Avenue Elementary School

Carson
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Nestled in a suburban neighborhood in Carson, Leapwood’s mission is to provide the opportunity for students to appreciate cultural diversity and become active learners in a safe and positive environment. Though Leapwood’s student population is relatively small, the school is somewhat unique within the district in that 89% of its students are of African-American descent and 15% have a learning difference. Leapwood’s Autism Learning Program is renowned throughout Los Angeles and beyond. Our collaboration with Leapwood was launched in the Spring 2018 through a generous partnership with the Los Angeles Galaxy Foundation, whose stadium sits within view of campus. Parents, school staff, and L.A. Galaxy volunteers transformed an existing outdoor space into a lush, edible garden with raised beds, benches, and a shade canopy. Garden Educator: Stefan Henschke

“I think the GSF classes are wonderful. Many of our students were really unaware of how certain foods are grown and many were introduced to vegetables that they may have heard of but had never seen. This GSF program should be in ALL public city schools.” 
– 2ND GRADE TEACHER  AT LEAPWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Mary W. Jackson STEAM Multilingual Magnet Elementary

Altadena
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Jackson offers its students an innovative, discovery based academic program that nurtures the communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creative skills necessary in the 21st century. Its strong emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and math is complemented by their Dual Language track in English and Spanish. Jackson students are motivated through engaging, research-based instruction relevant to their lived experiences, making the school an ideal partner for GSF. In 2012 the Jackson community came together to build their Community Pride Garden as an instructional site for both the school and wider community, and in 2013 GSF joined their efforts. The Jackson garden continues to be a source of excitement, learning, and pride among the staff, students, parents, and community volunteers. Garden Educator: Taeya Long

“Because of Garden School Foundation’s Seed to Table program, 650 students are able to experience our garden each week through engaging, hands-on science lessons and delicious, healthy, garden-based cooking classes. Garden School Foundation has brought our garden to life and inspired our entire school community to grow and eat healthy food and take care of the environment. Their passionate staff and interns provide us with consistent care and maintenance of the garden and teach our whole school community how to grow, harvest and cook healthy dishes from all around the world”
— MAYA SHARP, PARENT AT JACKSON STEM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

“Because you get to learn where your food comes from, it makes you want be thankful.”
—4TH GRADER AT JACKSON STEM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Eagle Rock
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Founded in 1909 as a two-unit structure along a small stream, Rockdale today is a top ranking Visual and Performing Arts Magnet with a wonderfully diverse student body comprising 353 students of Hispanic, Filipino, White, African-American, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, and American Indian descent. Rockdale fosters students’ joy in active learning through the arts. The school’s commitment to ethical action and environmental responsibility guides students toward meaningful lives in a changing, dynamic world. The garden was built in 2005 by the school, community, and Master Gardeners, Eileen Hatrick and Anne Elder. GSF has been partnering with Rockdale since Fall 2013 to bring in-depth programming to their flourishing garden. Garden Educator: Janelle Jimenez

“My kids love garden and cooking classes! My son takes two bites before deciding whether he likes the new food! Amazing! We also planted strawberries and tomatoes.” –KINDER AND 2ND GRADE PARENT AT ROCKDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

“My students love both cooking and gardening class. But in cooking classes they get to try new ways to use foods they already eat, and its fascinating! After cooking students discuss food selections, tastes, previous experiences, and future desires to teach recipes. They’re also more aware of plants, living things, and ways to protect or care for organisms. I have used recipes at home and look forward to new lessons. Great programming!”  – KINDER AND 1ST GRADE TEACHER AT ROCKDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Miracle Mile
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With under 200 students, Wilshire Crest is an intimate neighborhood school serving central Los Angeles for over 80 years. Their mission is to create an environment where all children, including those with special needs, can achieve their maximum potential through the positive support of community members, parents, staff, teachers, and students. Wilshire Crest also offers a Spanish/English Language Immersion program. The school’s gardens were conceived by a passionate group of committed parents and teachers who broke ground in 2009. A larger ¼-acre learning garden was then added, and GSF became the programming partner in 2013. The Wilshire Crest gardens have a special focus on water conservation and sustainability, using ollas, hugelkultur, and drip irrigation. Garden Educator: Dan Foster

“The students absolutely love their gardening classes and demonstrate a great deal of enthusiasm for learning in the classes”
– 1ST GRADE TEACHER AT WILSHIRE CREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

“My daughter  loves garden classes. She is trying more salads. She also wants to plant avocados at home.”
–THIRD GRADE PARENT AT WILSHIRE CREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL