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Santa Clara Unified School District's Pomeroy Sustainable Harvests & Investing in Nature Education (SHINE) program serves 300 students in grades TK-5 in Santa Clara, CA. SHINE provides hands-on, nature-based education and recreation to underserved students, including SED, ELL, and SPED populations. The program integrates Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards and emphasizes the benefits of eating locally and sustainably. SHINE also includes a Charlie Cart Outdoor Kitchen System and ongoing support for long-term sustainability and replication at other schools.
Growing Sustainably, a signature CommUniverCity SJSU program, is developing and delivering new curriculum connecting wildlife appreciation, Green STEM careers, and climate resilience to expand its programming. It is teaching 905 Central San Jose k-8th grade students living in underserved communities about local flora and fauna through urban habitat gardening. Additionally, the program is organizing grade level-appropriate environmental science career fairs using hands-on activities and field trips. Central San Jose program participants have multiple opportunities to garden, observe wildlife, learn about green STEM careers, visit the SJSU campus, enjoy natural areas, and address environmental issues relevant to them.
The Authority contributed funds to the Santa Clara County Food System Alliance project which addresses the issue of economic and social viability of small-scale urban and peri-urban agricultural operations in Santa Clara County. The Alliance will produce a report that highlights potential models for creating successful small-scale agricultural operations and identifies marketing and distribution systems that expand healthy food access by linking a viable urban and peri-urban agricultural system to residents of Santa Clara County, particularly underserved communities. The report will also provide recommendations illustrating how to implement potentially successful models in the county. The data and recommendations in the report will be useful for policymakers, elected officials, partner organizations, beginning and existing small farmers, and they will feed into the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Strategy process and Urban Agriculture Incentive Zone implementation.
