Hollywood’s Amy Smart, Nicole Richie and Anna Getty launch the School Gardens Program

HOLLYWOOD – MAY 12: Anna Getty, Nicole Richie, and Amy Smart attend The Environmental Media Association’s Organic Gardens Initiative launch held at The Helen Bernstein High School on May 12, 2009 in Hollywood, California.
Photo: Alexandra Wyman

EMA’s Young Hollywood Board launches the School Gardens Program!

The Environmental Media Association (EMA), Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and sponsor Yes To Carrots, a natural personal care brand, have launched an ongoing partnership to support organic gardens and greenery in urban schools across Los Angeles. EMA will directly support a number of school gardens through funding and celebrity mentoring via EMA’s Young Hollywood Board. Yes To Carrots will support the campaign through its non-profit Yes To Carrots Seed Fund, which helps underserved communities to develop self-sustaining, organic food sources.

The Organic Gardens partnership launched on Tuesday, May 12, 2009, at Helen Bernstein High School in Hollywood and the initial thrust of the program will cover 10 LAUSD schools. Once established, the Organic Gardens Program will expand its support to 25 schools within the LAUSD.

This partnership is the beginning of an ambitious plan to sponsor and support garden programs in various school districts throughout the country. With an organic garden at the White House, the time is certainly right to showcase this program. EMA will be working with additional schools and sponsors in the coming months to grow the campaign. Continue to check back to the EMA website for updates on the ongoing development of the gardens.

Amy Smart plants the garden.

Why Organic Gardens
Short answer: they’re great for children’s development.

EMA believes that students’ don’t just have to learn within the confines of four walls, but that education can take place in a dynamic atmosphere that engages students in a unique and creative fashion. Organic gardens provide the perfect opportunity to do just that by providing an interdisciplinary and student-centered experience that enriches their learning experience in a “living classroom.”

In many urban areas, children are surrounded by cement and asphalt. The natural environment is behind fences or windows and not available for hands-on exploration. As a result, there is a disconnect between the children and the environment. A recent survey by the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom found that more than 60% of children surveyed thought that cotton comes from sheep and that vegetables come from the store. From reading, to science, math, and nutrition everything is possible in the hands-on laboratory of a school garden.

Anna Getty plants the garden.

The Benefits

Organic gardens offer an experiential curriculum that can be tailored to a teacher’s needs and students’ abilities. Math, science, nutrition, health and fitness can all be taught through the use of these organic gardens and provide a fun environment in which learning becomes so much more than books and quizzes. Learning becomes an adventure.

According to the California Department of Education, over 77 percent of students in environment-based education programs, such as school gardens, scored higher than their peers across all standardized tests and had higher grade point averages. Students taking part in garden programs experience other benefits as well. Students are reported to have greater self-confidence, leadership and social skills, and also exhibit higher interest in volunteerism and community spirit.

It turns out that students who participate in the program discover fresh food, make healthier food choices, and are more physically active. Children who plant and harvest their own fruits and vegetables are more likely to eat them. The first step in developing healthier eating patterns is to increase students’ desire to taste vegetables in the first place.

Nicole Richie plants the garden.

The Impact of the Young Hollywood Board

Young actors and actresses serve as role models to millions of people, especially youth. Through their actions, celebrities can inspire youth in their formative years, and EMA has recruited celebrities to the program to mentor and actively engage the students in the garden programs.

From planting and tending the gardens to speaking to students about healthy eating choices, board members such as Amy Smart, Olivia Wilde, Rosario Dawson, and Lance Bass will interact with and share in the joy children derive from the gardens.

EMA hopes to utilize the Young Hollywood Board to also generate press for the programs around the country and help generate local community and financial support.

See video of opening on EMA’s website here.

See more photos from the opening here.