Support the Arthur A. Benjamin Health Professions High School Learning Garden

Sacramento’s Arthur A. Benjamin Health Professions High School (AABHPHS) is a small school that emphasizes the health and medical sciences. Most of the children that attend this school are from disadvantaged neighborhoods. The faculty have done an excellent job at spearheading the development of a learning garden on the high school’s campus. However, most of the costs associated with the learning garden have come from faculty members themselves, and this is not sustainable. To ensure the longevity of the learning garden, project leaders need funding for compost, soil, starter plants, seeds, gardening tools, and other gardening supplies. 

The goal of this project is to develop an ongoing partnership between UC Davis and AABHPHS that provides monetary support for the learning garden and educational support for the high school students. This summer, recruitment of additional graduate and undergraduate volunteers will begin. These recruitment efforts will continue annually to further sustain the program. Graduate and undergraduate students from UC Davis will be participating on a volunteer basis, therefore, we would also like to secure funds to reimburse volunteers for the travel expenses required to get from Davis to Sacramento. 

This learning garden provides educational opportunities and hands-on experiences for high school students. UC Davis student volunteers will prepare educational presentations and workshops that cover a broad range of topics including nutrition, agronomy, environmental stewardship, and more. Interactive activities will also be developed to facilitate the hands-on section of the class. When the garden is harvested, students are taught to cook healthy meals and the remainder of the harvest is donated to the surrounding community. Some garden-based learning programs like this one have been shown to achieve 3-fold increases in fruit and vegetable consumption by participating students. 

Additional benefits of this program include, “higher learning achievements, improved academic and social skills, and increased environmental awareness”. There are also many benefits for the UC Davis student volunteers. For the undergraduate students specifically, this program will provide them with real-world opportunities that can help prepare them for many future careers. Undergraduate students can take the initiative to choose their level of involvement, which could include experience with the grant application process. 

Everyone participating will be diversifying their personal and professional networks, expanding their perspective, refining their collaborative skills, and most importantly, providing help to youth from disadvantaged communities.