Eat.Think.Grow.

The Portland Schools Foundation is serving as fiscal sponsor and executive partner with Eat.Think.Grow. - Portland Partners for School Food & Garden Education. The partnership is a community of activists, non-profits, Portland Public School department leads, and representatives of city and state agencies committed to advancing the Portland Public Schools Wellness Policy.

Our mission is to improve childhood learning and health through a whole systems approach to wellness. Areas of focus include cafeteria and school food environment, integrating gardeen-based and nutrition education into the classroom, and access to school gardens and local destination farms.

PROJECT GOALS INCLUDE:

Policy Into Practice: Leverage and implement the Portland Public Schools Wellness Policy by using curriculum to integrate learning opportunities and wellness objectives into the classroom, cafeteria and school garden.

Improving School Food: Make local, sustainably produced, whole foods the benchmark for meals and activities within the school environment. Also, create a foundation for lifelong health by increasing the percentage of fresh, minimally processed foods and connecting healthy food choices to nutrition and physical education.

A Garden in Every School: Increase the number of school gardens and standardize school garden curriculum across Portland Public Schools. The intent is to support the development of the whole child by using school garden curriculum to integrate the physical, social and academic learning environments.

Remaking the Urban-Rural Connection: Support urban-rural connections through the promotion of Oregon foods in the cafeteria, connecting students with local farms and producers, and increasing student participation in destination farm programs.

EAT.THINK.GROW. PARTNERS INCLUDE:

Abernethy Elementary School and the Garden of Wonders

The City of Portland, Office of Sustainable Development

Ecotrust Food and Farms

Growing Gardens

Learning Gardens Institute

Learning Gardens Laboratory

Oregon Department of Education Child Nutrition Programs

Oregon Department of Agriculture

Oregon State University Extension Service-Metro Community & Urban Horticulture Program

Portland Public Schools Board of Education

Portland Public Schools Office of Development

Portland Public Schools Nutrition Services

Portland Public Schools Wellness Advisory Committee

Portland Schools Foundation

Portland State University, Department of Education

Stand for Children (Portland)

Slow Food POrtland

Zenger Farm

 

For more information on Eat.Think.Grow. please contact Wisteria Loeffler at wisterial@gmail.com or Linda Colwell at lindacolwell@comcast.net.