Indicator PI.2.f Proportion of public schools with a school garden

PI.2.f Proportion of public schools with a school garden

Download PDF map.

* = Because of the small number of schools per neighborhood, proportions may provide rather extreme results. In analysis and interpretation, it is recommended that the number of schools is stated (i.e. 0 of 1 school in Financial District have a garden).

Data Source

List of gardens obtained from Director of Educational Gardens, San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD). June 2009.

List of 2008-2009 schools obtained from San Francisco Unified School District. Accessed online on August 20, 2009: http://portal.sfusd.edu/template/default.cfm?page=school_info

Map and table prepared by City and County of San Francisco, Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Section using ArcGIS software.

Table data is presented by planning neighborhood. Detailed information regarding geographic units of analysis, their definitions, and their boundaries can be found in the HDMT at the following links:

http://www.thehdmt.org/etc/Geographic_Units_of_Analysis.pdf

http://www.thehdmt.org/data_map_methods.php

Explanation and Limitations

According to the San Francisco Food Alliance, school gardens are outdoor learning environments which support students' performance and greater community involvement in our schools. School gardens offer opportunities for culturally and linguistically diverse learning, for infusing lessons with nutrition, science concepts, environmental awareness, and healthy behaviors. School gardens also provide opportunities for students to become caretakers of small ecosystems and build a culture of ownership and stewardship at their school.

In 2003, voters in San Francisco approved Prop A: School Garden Bond, which allocated $2 million for the greening of 17 schoolyards. Some of these schools already had school garden programs so their share ($100,000) of the $2 million will be used to expand the already existing program. Others (about 10 of the 17) will use their $100,000 to begin a program.

Although every school garden is represented on the same map, the size, type, management and upkeep differ. Since every school's resources and capacity vary, it is not possible to set a standard on size, type and management of the school garden. Only SFUSD schools are included.

As of June 2009, 51 elementary, middle and high schools in San Francisco have current garden programs at their schools.  Although at the beginning stages of building a garden program, Moscone Elementary was included because they will have a functioning garden program in the 2009-2010 school year.  Ortega Elementary and Milk Academy Elementary have nutrition coordinators and have had garden programs in the past, but as of June 2009 did not have current garden programs and so were not included on the list. 

The following schools have school gardens but were not included in this list because they are county/alternative schools or child development centers (CDCs), but not an elementary, middle or high school: Junipero Serra CDC, Las Americas CDC, San Miguel CDC, and Tule Elk-Park CDC. School gardens may be present at other non-public and private schools within the city. Additionally, since time of data collection, more schools may have started and/or opened school gardens.

Why is this a Community Health Indicator?

School gardens can be used to teach students about biology, ecology, environmental preservation, potentially fostering environmental stewardship and healthy eating. Research shows that living in proximity to green space is associated with reduced self-reported health symptoms, better self-rated health, and higher scores on general health questionnaires.a Furthermore, the presence of views and access to natural vegetation in the urban environment reduces socially unacceptable behavior and crime and increases concentration and fewer behavior problems among children.b,c
  1. Vries S, de Verheij RA, Groenewegen PP, Spreeuwenberg P. Natural environments - healthy environments? An exploratory analysis of the relationship between green space and health. Environment and Planning A. 2003;35(10):1717-1731.
  2. Kuo FE, Sullivan WC. Environment and crime in the inner city: does vegetation reduce crime? Environment and Behavior. 2001;33(3):343-367.
  3. Taylor AF, Kuo FE, Sullivan WC. Coping With ADD: The Surprising Connection to Green Play Settings. Environment and Behavior. 2001;33(1):54-77.