Thriving Community Gardens Act
Thriving Community Gardens Act would expand how federal Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (SSAEG) can be used by local schools. Specifically, it authorizes SSAEG funds to cover the development and ongoing maintenance of school or community gardens, pairing this with nutrition education and regular physical activity as part of a healthy, active student lifestyle. The bill also requires the Department of Education to collect information from local educational agencies about their garden projects, identify best practices, and publish these practices on a public DOE website with ongoing updates. In short, the bill aims to (1) broaden grant use to include garden programs, (2) formally connect garden activities with nutrition education and physical activity (including possible health-professional guidance), and (3) create a national set of best practices to guide schools and communities in starting and maintaining gardens.
Key Points
- 1Expands eligible uses of SSAEG funding to include the development and maintenance of school and community gardens.
- 2Integrates garden activities with nutrition education and regular, structured physical education, with potential involvement from school nurses or other health professionals to support student well-being.
- 3Requires the Secretary of Education to regularly collect data from local educational agencies on garden projects funded under SSAEG.
- 4Mandates identification of best practices for developing and maintaining school/community gardens based on collected information.
- 5Requires public publication and ongoing updates of these best practices on the Department of Education’s website.