Using school gardens as a vehicle for health promotion for elementary school youth: A review of the literature

Gardens have been incorporated into elementary school education since the 1800s and are gaining popularity once again. The growing interest in school gardens stems from recent trends toward eating locally grown food as well as public health concerns about improving the nutrition of youth. School garden programs can be utilized as a vehicle for improving the health and well being of elementary school youth, in both low and non-low socioeconomic (SES) elementary schools. A review of the literature indicates that school garden programs have been successful in improving academic achievement, increasing fruit and vegetable consumption and nutrition knowledge, building social skills, interpersonal relationships and team-building skills among elementary school youth. Through hands-on learning, gardens can enhance classroom lessons while providing youth with environmental experiences. However, barriers to successful implementation exist especially in low SES schools. These include: a lack of funding, the onus of responsibility is placed on teachers who lack knowledge of gardening skills, and little community and parent involvement. Some recommendations for improving school garden programs in order to increase sustainability and success include: 1) provide gardening techniques, skills and tips on how to incorporate gardens into classroom lessons during pre-service education for early education teachers, 2) include community volunteers to alleviate the burden on teachers, 3) complete garden program evaluations