A message from the Green Schoolyards Manager:
The Green Schoolyards Action Network Goes International! |
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Hello Green Schoolyards Advocates! I have many exciting updates for you below. But first, I’m thrilled to share more about my recent time in Turin, Italy, where I served as a US delegate to Slow Food International’s Terra Madre event. |
Terra Madre is a global gathering of food communities and cultures aimed at changing the paradigm of food systems. The bi-annual, global event for good, clean, and fair food explores biodiversity, soil, forests, waters, and community knowledge, and what they mean for nature as a whole. Over 350,000 visitors and about 3,000 delegates from 117 countries attended this year! |
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As a delegate actively engaged in educational transformation on the regional and national level, I led and participated in food talks, forums, and focus groups throughout the five-day event. Topics included collective impact, collaboration models, and maximizing school wellness policies to support and sustain equitable district-wide environment, food, and nutrition programs. I was able to meet with organizational representatives from Soul Fire Farm, the Alice Waters Institute, the Slow Food International Education team, and many others to discuss future collaborations.
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I’m so excited to bring my learnings from this conference to our region and to continue to expand and learn about green schoolyards on an international scale. In the meantime, learn more about Slow Food USA and the Cincinnati Slow Food Chapter today, read about our recent Green Schoolyards wins below, and have a wonderful fall.
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| In collaboration, Cynthia Walters Green Schoolyards Action Network Manager
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The Network in Action! New School Year: New Priorities |
Many Green Schoolyards projects and resources are underway within the Cincinnati Public School District for the 2024-25 school year. District staff members, city officials, and partner organizations are collaborating to create deliverables that will positively impact students and the school community. Here are some recent highlights from our active Green Schoolyards teams. |
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CPS Workforce Development and Curriculum Teams |
Both teams are combining forces to develop a plan for expanding the Green Career pathway to include PreK-8th grades and special populations. Expanding the pathway will expose more students to career opportunities, helping to meet the Green Cincinnati Plan's goal of placing 4,000 individuals in green city jobs.
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CPS Facilities & Maintenance Team |
Twenty Green Schoolyards outdoor learning installations will be completed by the end of October across 14 Cincinnati neighborhoods. The installations feature gardens, nature playscapes, and outdoor classrooms and were built at prioritized schools over the course of two years. Future projects include a Traffic Garden made possible by a Cincinnati Health Department grant. Read more about traffic gardens below! |
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Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for Schools Team |
With joint funding and through a partnership between Green Umbrella’s Green Schoolyards and Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council programs, in addition to CPS Student Dining Services, a workforce development pilot will be implemented at Aiken High School during the 2024-25 school year. GAP food safety training will be incorporated into the Ag Ed Career Tech curriculum so student-grown crops can be purchased by dining services. A GAP For Schools Toolkit will be developed for additional schools to implement across the district and statewide with the goal of providing green career training and increasing nutritious local food access to students.
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The Faces of the Green Schoolyards Action Network: Margaux Roberts
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Climate Safe Neighborhoods Community Organizer, Margaux Roberts, is fostering connections between Bond Hill Academy and the Bond Hill Community Garden. During a recent Reds Community Makeover Day that included improvements made to both the school playground and to the community garden, Margaux spoke about the importance of environmental justice, community impact, and teaching children life skills. Since the improvements have been completed, Margaux has been facilitating a partnership between the school and the Bond Hill Garden Club to establish a learning hub where students will have access to growing food in the community garden and hear from guest speakers who work in green careers. Margaux's inspirational work aims to increase the community’s access to growing and consuming nutritious foods while fostering community connections. Thanks for all you do, Margaux!
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RESCHEDULED! Your Role as a Stakeholder in School Wellness Webinar November 19th, 3:30-5 PM |
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Mark your calendars (again!) for "Slow Food Live: Your Role as a Stakeholder in School Wellness," rescheduled for November 19th from 3:30-5:00. This webinar will take a fresh look into the USDA-required Local School Wellness Policies, which hold transformative potential for food, health, and environmental systems within schools. Whether you're a student, parent, school employee, or community partner, your voice is vital in crafting these impactful policies. Join experts Cynthia Walters of Green Umbrella’s Green Schoolyards program, Anneliese Tanner of Boston Public Schools, and Jackie Sharpe of the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce as they guide you through building effective committees and share a new toolkit. Register here.
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What is a Traffic Garden? |
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A traffic garden is a set of small-sized streets with scaled-down traffic features where children and other new learners practice, learn, and have fun in a place that is free from motor vehicles. These mini-street networks provide a practical, hands-on way to learn about biking skills, road safety, and how traffic works. They serve as a controlled environment where kids can gain confidence and master critical life-long skills and key concepts for getting around safely. New traffic gardens were installed at Ethel Taylor, Chase, and South Avondale elementary schools along with school owners guides and STEM activity boxes to support teaching and learning about bike and pedestrian safety. These spaces have great potential for connecting to near-by bike and walking trails that engage families and the community. Learn more about traffic gardens here.
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Green Umbrella leads cross-sector collaboration to accelerate climate action across Greater Cincinnati. |
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