School Nutrition Services (SNS) Research

Publication: JAND

Date Published: October 2017

Reference: 

Development of the GREEN (Garden Resources, Education, and Environment Nexus) Tool: An Evidence-Based Model for School Garden Integration
Burt, Kate Gardner et al.
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Volume 117, Issue 10, 1517 - 1527.e4

Key Takeaways: The GREEN (Garden Resources, Education, and Environment Nexus) Tool was developed to guide the integration and sustainability of school gardens. This was a mixed-method study involving 21 New York City elementary and middle schools that had well-established gardens. The garden tool identifies 19 essential components in four domains ( Garden Resources( physical spaces, materials, and funding), Education(curriculum integration, teacher training, and student engagement), and Environment (focus on policy support, community involvement, and school culture),  Nexus (represents interconnection of all 3 components and their collective impact on sustainability)  The GREEN tool is both a MAP (how and when to illustrate the 19 components) and a Score Card (Offers a 3-point scale to assess progress on each component). These tools help aid garden leaders develop and sustain gardens in the school environment.

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