School Gardens & Social Capital Essay Example

social networks, trust, and reciprocity. These components empower individuals to actively engage in their communities.

Warwick Smith (1998, p. 8) argues that socially deprived communities arise due to a lack of social capital, which is essential for achieving collective goals within a community. Unfortunately, the very communities that need social capital the most often experience a shortage of it. These neighborhoods, burdened by poverty, insufficient healthcare and nutrition resources, and underperforming schools, are especially vulnerable to the absence of social capital.

The absence of social capital creates a continuous cycle of marginalization, hindering the ability of community members to collaborate and obtain vital social assistance. Despite its difficulties, the development of social capital is considered essential in meeting the needs of disadvantaged communities (Altschuler, 2004). Course Texts, Social Supports, & Schools

According to education writers, social capital and community stability are crucial for creating positive learning opportunities for children. Linda Darling-Hammond, an author who discusses the importance of social capital in schooling, believes that students often lack the necessary social supports for effective learning. She connects this issue to high rates of child poverty in the United States and states that poverty combined with inadequate social supports contributes to growing inequality in American schools (2010, p. 30). Unlike countries with government subsidies for food, housing, healthcare, and childcare, Americans lack this security. Darling-Hammond acknowledges that when students' basic needs are not met, schools may struggle to effectively educate them. In contrast to American schools, Darling-Hammond examines school systems in countries achieving greater educational success.

In contrast to American schools' focus on high-stakes testing and centralized controls, Finland, Korea, and Singapore have

embraced alternative approaches that yield successful results. These countries prioritize a comprehensive vision for education. For instance, Singapore values holistic education as a means to develop students into well-rounded individuals. Their curriculum is specifically tailored to encourage active student engagement in the learning process (p. 186).

Korea, in line with UNESCO's four pillars of learning ("learning to know, learning to do, learning to be, and learning to live together"), places great importance on a comprehensive approach to education and a wide-ranging school curriculum (p. 177). The Korean educational system prioritizes emotional growth, creativity, and traditional academic disciplines as means of nurturing students' commitment to gaining new knowledge and their preparedness for collaboration.

Following the footsteps of Korea and Singapore, Finland's public schools have experienced substantial transformations that have yielded favorable results. Presently, Finnish schools function in a more decentralized approach, granting each school the autonomy to determine its curriculum. The focus lies on nurturing creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities, alongside prioritizing teacher training and student well-being within the public education system.

Public schools are incorporating strategies like transportation, daily meals, and healthcare to help students achieve their maximum potential. According to Darling-Hammond (p. 168), three nations prioritize the academic and personal well-being of their students. By offering a wider array of social services for citizens and providing more extensive learning opportunities for young individuals, these countries are experiencing multiple benefits.

Quantitative tools like the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment have detected enhancements in student outcomes and a reduction in achievement gaps linked to social inequities. Darling-Hammond's examination of the impact of social inequity on education is echoed by Bryk

and his co-authors in Organizing Schools for Improvement: Lessons from Chicago (2010). This research highlights the detrimental effect of low socio-economic status on educational results while offering readers glimpses of hope through successful school reform illustrations.

The descriptions of schools where students face hunger, housing insecurity, and fear of violence every day highlight the significance of strong community ties, shared goals, and shared successes. Darling-Hammond's work, as well as Bryk et al's, stress the necessity of social supports to overcome education barriers, revealing that these supports are frequently absent in impoverished communities. In cases where governments and policymakers neglect to provide these social supports, it becomes even more crucial for communities to unite and strive to fill the void in security.

When local schools collaborate with community members to tackle common challenges, it is crucial in providing the resources needed for students to succeed. The importance of school-community relationships is often disregarded when discussing educational reforms. Nevertheless, Bryk et al underline that schools that establish strong connections with parents and the local community greatly benefit in their efforts to create a safer and more organized environment (p. 198).

The absence of social capital in impoverished urban areas is a prevalent cause for the underperformance of schools and the sense of isolation and powerlessness within the community. To tackle these issues, schools can actively involve themselves with the community, fostering trust and social capital to improve outcomes for both students and the broader school community. By strengthening local schools through societal connections, neighbors are also able to collaborate in resolving common issues, working towards shared goals, and recognizing small achievements that contribute to

the development of social capital.

Both teachers and families agree that the problems of the American education system cannot be solved only by schools. It is crucial for the entire community to come together and address these issues in order to bring about improvements and improve the quality of education for all. Just as schools alone cannot solve these problems, communities should not be expected to work miracles without the assistance and involvement of teachers and administrators. Payne suggests that partnerships between schools and communities have the potential to offer solutions to challenges arising from poverty and a lack of social support (Payne, 2010).

Collaborations beyond the school building benefit all involved parties and can lead to further in-school reforms. Shared efforts and achievements between schools and communities are crucial for generating meaningful changes in education. While a single collaboration may not be enough to bring about the necessary improvements, it can act as a catalyst for ongoing community-school partnerships. Supporting School Gardens

The interest in school and community gardens is growing, both in the United States and internationally. Supporters of school gardens argue that these projects can foster a connection between schools and communities, provide an opportunity for shared goals and achievements, and tackle food insecurity. A recent study conducted in Melbourne, Australia on a community garden indicates that access to social institutions and the formation of a group identity, which leads to social capital, heavily depend on one's place of residence (Kingsley, J. ; Townsend, M., 2006). The combination of urbanization growth and financial uncertainty often leads to feelings of isolation and promotes individualism instead of unity within groups. While

individual survival is important, the formation of social capital relies on group identity, which can effectively address individual needs. Similar to the link between urbanization and individualism, exposure to nature and green spaces has been associated with higher levels of social interaction as well as the establishment of community networks (Maller et al., 2002).

According to Glover (2003, p. 192), shared gardens promote the growth of social capital by empowering and mobilizing residents. He explains that these gardens offer opportunities for disenfranchised individuals to join a collective effort, emphasizing that they are more about building community than gardening itself. In line with Glover's perspective, participants in Melbourne's community garden project expressed their agreement. Interviews revealed that these individuals felt the gardens provided a communal and cooperative environment where they could work alongside neighbors and receive advice and support (Kingsley, J. , & Townsend, M, 2006).

According to research, both school gardens and community gardens have similar positive outcomes. However, school gardens also offer unique benefits for students. In a nationwide survey, teachers noticed that involvement in either type of garden helped children develop responsibility and form healthy social relationships. The findings show that gardening improves self-esteem, has psychological advantages, and encourages social interaction. These benefits may be particularly valuable for African-Americans and Hispanics due to their strong emphasis on "helping others" and "sharing produce with others."

In a study conducted by Waliczek et al. (1996), it was found that African-Americans and Hispanics valued "having a sense of self-sufficiency" and "feeling good about my abilities" more than Caucasian and Asian participants in the survey. Another study, carried out in an urban area,

aimed to assess the impact of a year-long school garden project on students' perception of life skills. For this purpose, the researchers used a Youth Life Skills Inventory consisting of thirty-two questions that evaluated skills such as "working with groups, understanding self, communicating, making decisions, leadership, and volunteerism" (Robinson, 2005, p. 454). The teachers' goal was to foster leadership qualities and encourage community service among students; thus they chose this inventory which had adapted questions from an adult life skills index. The responses provided by the participants were assessed using a three-point scale instead of the typical five-point Likert scale to ensure accessibility for young individuals.

Approximately 300 students from third, fourth, and fifth grades with different ethnic backgrounds participated in the study. The experimental group included 190 students, while the control group had 91 students. Both groups took pre-tests and post-tests, and quantitative data analysis methods were used to analyze the results. The experimental group made significant progress in "working with groups" and "self understanding," while improvements in other categories measured by the inventory were either less notable or not observed.

Throughout the one-year project, the control group witnessed no significant changes in any category. The study considered the students' race, gender, and grade level but determined that these factors did not significantly affect the outcomes. Teachers involved in the study concluded that the results justified continuing with the program; however, they expressed a desire to enhance it for future participants to better achieve its objectives.

Advocates of school garden programs argue that these initiatives effectively blend practical activities with life skills education, aiding children in the development and retention of

these crucial abilities. Gardens offer opportunities for learning delayed gratification, independence, cooperation, and motivation while also fostering feelings of self-worth and a sense of belonging (Alexander et al, 1995; Barker, 1992). A study in this field discovered that participants in school garden programs significantly enhanced their life skills. Additionally, such programs can have a positive impact on the community by promoting collaboration and involvement within the neighborhood – an essential element for maintaining a thriving garden. Serving as community gardens, school gardens strengthen social cohesion, support local communities and schools, and provide nutritious food to participants who often face limited access to healthy meals.

School gardens that engage community members and provide produce to participants and neighbors have a beneficial effect on schools, students, and communities in need. The key focus of school gardens is to address issues related to nutrition and food insecurity. People experiencing food insecurity often miss meals and may go for extended periods without access to food, resulting in diets lacking essential nutrients. With the growing number of Americans living below the poverty line, especially in low-income urban areas, addressing food insecurity becomes an increasingly urgent matter.

The primary cause of food insecurity is the cost and availability of food, which is exacerbated by the transportation process. Agricultural products typically travel 1,500 to 2,500 miles from where they are grown to their final destination. This lengthy journey presents challenges such as increased spoilage rates and higher prices due to the need to cover transportation costs and minimize food waste. To address this issue, only durable varieties of fruits and vegetables that can withstand extensive handling and transportation are available

in specific areas.

The issue of higher expenses and reduced nutritional value and freshness of produce among inner-city residents is a result of the gap between food sources and urban communities. This problem is exacerbated by the presence of urban food deserts, which are areas lacking grocery stores or with limited access to them. Individuals residing in these food deserts must travel longer distances than usual to purchase fresh food items.

In Chicago, African-Americans face longer distances to grocery stores compared to other racial or ethnic groups. However, they have shorter distances to fast food establishments. To tackle the problem of limited access to grocery stores, affordable fruits and vegetables are being provided through the introduction of school and community gardens. While some believe these gardens are a positive step towards addressing food access issues, others hold opposing views.

The prevalence of supporters of school gardens in academic literature is greater than that of skeptics and opponents. Caitlin Flanagan argues that school gardens have become popular among different groups and have silenced dissenting voices. According to Flanagan, school gardens are seen as a temporary fad for privileged individuals rather than a means to achieve desired outcomes. The article "Cultivating Failure: How School Gardens are Cheating Our Most Vulnerable Students" reinforces this claim by sharing the story of an immigrant from Mexico who moved to the United States and began a family.

This man’s children, who are all American citizens, go to a school that mandates them to dedicate some time every week to work in the school garden - which the writer thinks is not something many Mexican-Americans would want for

their kids. As she explains the duties of working in a school garden, which can be physically demanding and exposed to unpleasant weather conditions, Flanagan emphasizes that parents rely on schools to equip their children with the necessary abilities to enhance their lives and do not view manual labor as part of that skill set.

School gardens are common in California, with a significant number of Mexican-American students. Some see asking immigrant children to participate in outdoor labor as perpetuating racial stereotypes, while others view it as a waste of time. Flanagan's focus is on California school gardens but believes her thoughts can apply nationwide. She thinks that school gardens can further marginalize people of color and be used by progressive individuals as a political tool to influence the younger generation. To illustrate her concern, Flanagan compares this patronizing agenda to a hypothetical situation in the Jim Crow South where a white man advocates for an agricultural curriculum for African American students. She suggests that this approach assigns field work and low expectations to many students who could become troublesome if they received proper education. Maintaining most school gardens requires the effort of teachers and volunteers, with students typically contributing one to three hours per week.

Supporters argue that participating in these projects helps students develop essential life skills. Critics, however, argue that resources spent on maintaining these projects could be better utilized for tutoring programs or test preparation.

Flanagan examines the Edible Schoolyard program in Berkeley, California, a long-standing school garden initiative. She believes it exemplifies the misconceptions surrounding the advantages of school gardens. This program entails middle school students engaging in

garden design and maintenance while incorporating gardening into their curriculum. Notably, participating students demonstrated enhanced academic performance. Nevertheless, skeptics contend that the grade improvement may be due to an easier coursework rather than genuine student accomplishments.

Flanagan argues that Latino students participating in the Edible Schoolyard program show lower proficiency in English and math compared to their peers at non-garden schools. Although Flanagan criticizes school gardens, some question whether the resources devoted to these projects are justified by their outcomes. A survey of more than four thousand school administrators explored the challenges schools encounter when contemplating garden programs and identified time and training as the primary obstacles.

According to the survey results, 88% of respondents lack the necessary curricular materials to connect school gardens with state academic standards. Additionally, 74% believe that teachers' lack of interest, knowledge, and experience pose significant obstacles to implementing school garden programs. Administrators share concerns about the shortage of sustainable funding and time constraints, and worry that school garden projects will overwhelm teachers who are already burdened with daily responsibilities (Graham et al, 2005). Summary & Conclusion References