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Impact Report

For plan Expanded 4-H & School Enrichment(Santa Fe County)
Date October 15, 2008, 7:32 pm
For Objective Short-term Show short-term objectives
Impact Report The Agriculture Agents were approached by the Santa Fe Public Schools After School Program Coordinator to assist in developing gardening projects in the elementary schools throughout the district. The Agents pursued a mini-grant offered through the NM Legislature that would allow funds to work with new 4-H audiences. The agents requested money to purchase supplies and materials that would get gardening projects off the ground. The grant request was accepted in the amount of $10,000. The Purpose of this outreach project is to work with both the Santa Fe Public Schools as well as the private schools within the county to provide instruction and support in the area of gardening. The project plans to use the Junior Master Gardener curriculum to deliver hands on activities that focus on several different aspects of gardening including ornamental gardening, vegetable gardening, landscape gardening, water education, irrigation systems and methods, and environmental impacts. The project will use in classroom instruction to incorporate science, math, health, nutrition, and cultural education into the overall gardening project. The project also includes the construction of pre-fabricated greenhouses and raised beds at each site by the youth and teachers that will serve as a learning laboratory not only for youth taking part in the project but the entire school. The long term goal is that the gardening project will become a community based effort and educate not only the youth in the school but their families about the importance of agriculture to their everyday lives and the role it plays in sustaining their culture, traditions, and ultimately their future. The goals for this project include: • Introduce youth and teachers to basic gardening concepts • Introduce new audiences to the 4-H program • Introduce new audiences to NMSU and Cooperative Extension Service • Collaborate with teachers to utilize new curriculum with their students • Ultimately develop community gardens within the school structure The project began in late spring of 2008, will continue through the summer of 2008 and incorporate the 2008-2009 school year. At the current time equipment and supplies have been purchased for both sights. The Extension Agents are currently working with teachers from the schools to develop a plan for the project which includes determining specific needs for each project sight. Equipment such as greenhouses and raised planting beds will be set up at each site and work with students will begin as school starts up in the fall. The two schools that have been targeted for this project are Agua Fria Elementary and The Academy for Technology and the Classics. Both sights have dedicated audiences that will take part in the project. The program at Agua Fria Elementary will be conducted through their after school program. During the 2007-2008 school year the program had 160 students enrolled. The program would average 100 students per day and served grades pre-k through 6th. The Academy for Technology and the Classics plans to serve the entire school through the Project Earth class. The Project Earth class has approximately 20 students enrolled. These students are trained mentors that will in turn educate the rest of the school which has approximately 400 students enrolled. The Project Earth class also works with the summer program which serves 130 students. It is anticipated that the gardening project will reach at least this many students through its duration. Impacts for the project will be measured in a number of ways. Students involved in the project will take a pre and post test designed to measure knowledge gained that will pertain to basic gardening concepts. Teachers/instructors will also take a survey pertaining to their experience working with Cooperative Extension Service and the 4-H program. The gardening project will use the 4-H model to deliver programs to each sight. The project will utilize curriculum designed for classroom instruction, interactive computer games, and hands on experience to keep students engaged in the learning process. Students will become familiar with the 4-H club model as they take part in the gardening project. By working with Santa Fe Public Schools there is also an opportunity to collaborate with other funding agents such as 21st Century and City of Santa Fe. This can provide an opportunity to sustain the gardening project for an extended period of time.