A School Garden Program in Every School

Green space, park access, and trees

Central LA East LA West LA South LA San Fernando Valley South Bay LAUSD (select only if you have a district-wide partnership)

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

The first is access to safe green spaces. In December 2023, LAUSD identified 449 elementary schools in their district that have less than 30% of green space in their school campus. This highlights the severe lack of greenery, especially trees, that make many school campuses unwelcoming and nonconductive to dynamic, engaging learning. Beyond school campuses, the lack of green spaces can be disproportionately felt by low income and minority communities throughout Los Angeles. The lack of green space not only creates unwelcoming environments but can also have a direct negative effect on the life expectancy of individuals.
Going hand in hand with the lack of access to green spaces, students also lack the ability to not only engage with nature but also learn about the environment and other related topics in a hands-on manner. This lack of exposure and hands-on education leads to students growing up with little to no appreciation for our natural environment and its delicate ecosystems.

Through our Garden Ranger Program, we are specifically tackling the issue of access to green spaces as well as providing interdisciplinary, hands-on outdoor garden education to Los Angeles students. From the 449 LAUSD elementary schools that have less than 30% of green spaces in their campus, EnrichLA is already working with 96 of those schools in the 2024-2025 school year. Thirty eight of those schools were ones that have less than 10% of green spaces in their school. This means that students from the most impacted school communities are gaining direct access to beautiful, living green spaces – often the only natural area available to them on campus
But the transformation goes beyond greening. Our Garden Rangers (who are our garden teachers educators) use these spaces as outdoor classrooms where students explore science, health, language arts, and environmental literacy in a hands-on setting. Students are also exposed to new subjects and ideas during their time in the school garden. From trying new fruits and vegetables to learning about the importance of trees in our environment, we are helping to shape a generation of students that understand and respect our natural world. Even something as simple as learning how not to be afraid of bees can have a lasting impact in the lives of our students. More importantly, teaching them that their food comes from the soil and not the grocery store can help students make healthier decisions at home and throughout their lives.

When we started in 2011, our mission has always been to have a school garden in all Los Angeles schools. This remains our goal and we will continue towards this mission for as long as we can. Our work will continue to improve our school communities by directly tackling a problem that LAUSD wants to improve by 2035. Even before LAUSD set this goal, we have been doing the work necessary to address this problem and we will continue to do so. Beyond LAUSD, we also work with other school districts (Bellflower, Glendale, Burbank) and independent charter and private schools.
Through the success of our programs, we will have schools that are greener, safer, and more welcoming to students. Schools will also be better places for hands-on interdisciplinary learning where students can learn in an outdoor setting. This will continue to influence students to grow up with a healthy understanding and respect for nature, while also having the tools for academic growth and success.