The Green Schoolyards Action Network (GSAN) is growing into new territory!

Green & Healthy Schools is GSAN’s expanded approach to supporting school districts for embedding whole-district sustainability systems that improve student academic performance and bolster wellness outcomes for school communities. For GSAN, this means focusing on three areas:

Green & Healthy Schools is based on equitable access to green infrastructure and resources for all students and staff, within individual schools and district-wide. GSAN - fueled by collaboration among school districts, municipalities, partner organizations, and health agencies - incorporates levers for involving students in the decision-making process and engaging community members. Stay tuned for more updates on Green & Healthy Schools on the GSAN website!

My title and role have adjusted to accommodate this growth in scope and impact. I continue to be an educator at heart: convening change-makers, implementing frameworks, tools, guides, webinars, workshops, and training directed at transforming education, environment, and food systems.

I look forward to keeping my boots on the ground, continuing to dream big, and fighting for public schools, my fellow educators, and learning from young people, who hold the future in their hands every day.

The Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) SPGS kicked off the school year with a meeting in September to celebrate outcomes from 2024-25 and solidify priorities and deliverables for 2025-26.

This school year’s first meeting of the Workforce Development Committee was held in August. Agriculture Education (Ag Ed) educators are joining the team this school year to share the challenges they face in implementing career technical education programs. Their students are also invited to contribute their perspective and possible solutions to address barriers. A new Ag Ed course will be offered at Pleasant Hill Academy to students that will incorporate the outdoor learning spaces on the school campus. An elementary pilot is being planned for this school year to close the gap in expanding the K-12 Ag Ed pathway.

During the 2025-26 school year, GSAN will be hosting quarterly virtual meet-ups for partners who support outdoor teaching and learning. The first convening took place in August. We shared new programs, resources, events, and conferences and gathered information that was provided to CPS Curriculum to be distributed to educators. The Curriculum Department has just completed an Outdoor Learning Guide to help support educators with new and existing environmental education sites. Kudos to Liz Wolf, CPS Curriculum Manager, for bringing the guide to the finish line!

The meet-up for curriculum partners is December 16, 2025 from 3:00-4:00 pm. Contact cynthia@greenumbrella.org if you would like to be added to the team calendar invite.

Two exciting projects are unfolding at CPS that will connect K-12 students to the local, nutritious foods that they grow in school gardens. John P. Parker School was awarded a Produce Safety For School Gardens grant and Aiken High School enters its second year of the Ohio Department of Education grant for students to be trained to safely plant, harvest, pack, and sell produce from the garden to CPS Student Dining Services.

The Aiken farm is working toward Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification where students will earn workforce development graduation credentials through the Ohio Department of Education. A K-12 Food Safety Guide will be produced as a result of combining these efforts which, in turn, will be a valuable resource for all CPS schools and school districts across the state and beyond.

Cynthia Walters will be conducting a Local School Wellness Policy Tool Kit Walkthrough catered to school garden leaders in the Slow Food USA presentation space at Terra Madre Americas in Sacramento at the end of September.

Cynthia will also be co-facilitating a workshop, Bridging Systems Thinking and Practice and Local Wellness Policy, at the Farm to Cafeteria Conference in Albuquerque during the first week of December. Register for the conference here.

In collaboration with National Farm to School Network, GSAN will be hosting Cultivating Futures: Green Careers Begin with School Gardens webinar on October 30, at 12:00 noon ET. Details and registration can be found here.

The Ohio School Garden Conference: Learning Together, Growing Together will be held on Friday November 7 at the Kunz-Brundige FRanklin County Extension Building on the Ohio State University Campus. Stephen Foltz from the Cincinnati Zoo is the keynote speaker and Cynthia Walters will be facilitating a panel discussion focused on agriculture and career development.The full agenda including school garden tours and registration is found here.

Green Umbrella is a member-based organization for businesses, local governments, non-profits, and institutions. For schools, joining us will help your learning community connect with thought leaders on sustainability and climate action, make tangible improvements to your campus for student learning, and connect students with green career pathways.

Membership benefits include training and networking, marketing opportunities, resources and technical support. Schools and school districts can become a Green Umbrella member at the Participating level at no cost.

Membership levels and detailed benefits for independent schools and school districts are found here.

Reply to this email to reach Cynthia, or for questions regarding membership, visit here or email membership@greenumbrella.org