Urban Agriculture wins the district CCTE competition

In our neighborhood of Colina Park:
• 54% of the population is born in another country: They are used to growing their own food and different shopping than in America.
• 43% of our families live below the poverty level: They often live with public assistance and need access to healthy affordable food.
• 32% of the population don't have cars: They don’t have access to places outside of our community.
• 40% of the population in Colina Park are under the age of 18: Our youth need access to healthy, fresh food.
• the population density is nearly ten times the San Diego average: With so many people in one area, we need to have more green spaces and need to grow food more densely to fit their needs.

The intent of the Urban Agriculture project is to promote a healthier lifestyle in children and create a more environmentally sustainable community in City Heights.

Three students from the garden club and six students from the graphic design class presented the Urban Agriculture project at the annual CCTE competition. Students did a great job presenting about the Urban Agriculture project and we won!

The showcase and urban Agriculture was even featured in a Union Tribune article. The project will continue and expand next year as we move into the Urban Agriculture garden and community establish programming.

Urban Ag Grant

We have applied for a grant to create "Urban Agriculuture", a garden to empower students to create healthy learning environments, take ownership in their communities, and positively impact our neighborhood while providing food for families in need.

Urban Agriculture will be an outdoor classroom for both academic and hands-on learning.  There will be a composting and vermicomposting instruction area, an outdoor kitchen for cooking fresh fruits and vegetables, and an instructional area for teaching.  We will teach nutrition, cultural, and gardening lessons that will empower the students and community to make healthier choices.
We would rather have class outside because it provides fresh air, Vitamin D, and more space to work.  Using technology in the garden will help us keep track of the garden while we're gardening. It also saves paper.

By discussing issues within the community we can make positive changes. For example, trash is a problem. People do not clean up after themselves. Plastic wrappers, soda cans, bottles, etc. are everywhere. Trash in our community creates pollution and gives the campus a bad reputation.  So we want to give our peers more information about the importance of picking up trash on campus and taking care of our environment.

Please see our powerpoint below to see pictures of the Urban agriculture garden and our vision.

urbanag