MarinHEAL GRANTEES

There are three gardens located on the school campus of the Nevada St. campus of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Academy. Each garden is designed to tailor to the needs of the different developmental ages of school aged children grades kindergarten through 8th grade. the Sausalito Marin City School District (SMCSD) has the goal of providing up to 50% of the fruits and vegetables grown onsite for the school lunch program.

Through a partnership with Rise Up 94965!  A garden coordinator teaches garden classes 3 times a week, with over 200 students in attendance. Curriculum for younger students such as the kindergarteners and first graders is tailored to center playful sensory exploration and identify freshly grown plants as a potential food source. For middle school aged students, garden curriculum includes exploring careers in agriculture and local food business opportunities. All curricula are designed to connect youth to the natural world and provide youth with empowerment opportunities as they revitalize the cultural pathways of stewarding land.

On the days that the garden is not teeming with playful students, a team of dedicated volunteers from the Marin Master Gardens regularly tends to the site.  These Master gardeners support everything from garden labor and soil building, to developing planting and care schedules with the school’s garden coordinator.

The school is currently under construction and is renovating their garden through major infrastructure updates. Urban Farmers from Farms 2 Grow assessed all 3 garden spaces, to support the gardens renovation planning. Many of the renovation projects have already been completed and will continue over the next year.

Community events such as the annual Garden Fair and annual Plant Fair serve as an opportunity for the larger community to support the sustainability of the garden and raise revenue for garden upkeep.  Youth in after school summer classes, learn to prepare foods such as jellies, jams, and spreads that are then sold at fundraising events to demonstrate their food growing and preservation skills.  SMCSD is developing outreach plans to expand the garden to serve the larger community of Sausalito, encompassing the neighboring residents and community organizations.