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Impact Report

For plan Expanded 4-H & School Enrichment(Santa Fe County)
Date October 13, 2009, 5:24 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 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. The Academy for Technology and the Classics plans to serve the entire school through the Project Earth class. 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. Initiation of the project began in late spring of 2008, and has continued through the current school year. At the current time equipment and supplies have been purchased and placed at each site. At Agua Fria Elementary an 8x10 greenhouse has been constructed and set up along with a storage shed for their gardening supplies. Raised beds and top soil have also been set up and are currently in production. Lettuce, strawberries and radishes were among some of the crops that were placed in the raised beds this past year. Along with the greenhouse construction and raised beds, transplant demonstrations were also conducted. 93 students and several teachers at Agua Fria Elementary took part in the project in the last year. Progress with the project has been temporarily halted at the Academy for Technology and the Classics due to a change in leadership in the past year. The project should resume with a new plan as soon as the new leadership at the school is organized and in place.