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On South Whidbey Island, Washington, a school farm shows that a garden can be a valuable addition to the curriculum while encouraging a healthy diet in CULTIVATING KIDS.
On South Whidbey Island in the state of Washington, a school farm involves children from kindergarten through high school in every phase of raising organic vegetables as part of their school experience. Supported by local non-profits, community volunteers, and the school district, it shows that a garden can be a valuable addition to a school curriculum, while encouraging children to eat healthy food. The school farm sells local, organic produce to the school cafeterias and also supplies the local food bank and community nutrition programs with fresh organic produce throughout the growing season.
23 minutes
SDH Captioned
Directed by Melissa Young, Mark Dworkin
Produced by Moving Images
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Screening options: |
"This film is essential to re-imagining school curriculum and expanding our idea of how and what students can learn...Cultivating Kids is a conversation starter for school staff and anyone interested in relevant schooling and using gardens as a community-building tool."
Julia Putnam, Principal, The James and Grace Lee Boggs School
"Cultivating Kids so beautifully captures the excitement and joy that farm to school brings to kids, educators, and community members. Show this film to anyone you want to convert into a lifetime farm to school supporter!"
Anupama Joshi, Executive Director and Co-Founder, National Farm to School Network
"From hands-on science to healthy eating and food justice, Cultivating Kids shows the potential to employ school gardens as an integrated context for meeting today's educational goals. Through diverse footage and interviews, we see the many ways that a garden cultivates not only plants, but also wonder, joy, and transformative education in a space where teachers, administrators, students and community members can connect with the idea that 'in this one seed is an entire life.'"
Dr. Tori Derr, Assistant Professor of Sustainability Education, California State University - Monterey Bay
"Cultivating Kids is the ideal film to show all stakeholders that are either considering a school garden or have an existing garden that is needing an infusion of excitement...Parents, teachers, school administrators, and community members will all find a special connection in this film that will motivate them to support a garden program for their school. The students are the real stars. A must see!"
Lauren Howe, Director of Slow Gardens Program, Slow Food USA
"What a great film! Cultivating Kids can serve as an inspiration to schools who are less familiar with school gardens and to the communities who can benefit from them. The South Whidbey School District has created a wonderful program that demonstrates the endless possibilities of school gardens to serve as powerful education tools and promote healthy lifestyle habits among students."
Chef Ann Cooper, Founder, Chef Ann Foundation, Author, Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children
"A lively exploration of how valuable outdoor garden education is for children and youth to connect with life cycles and learning. It is also a stirring testament to the powerful yields youth can learn through hands-on learning...The South Whidbey school garden is powerfully presented as an inspiring model for new and established school gardens alike."
Sharon Siehl, Director of Garden Programs, Seattle Tilth
"We are so excited by Cultivating Kids...We hope this movie inspires and refreshes all of you on your Farm to School journey."
Ellen Gray, Executive Director, Washington Sustainable Food and Farming Network