A team of three Clinton School students contributed research findings and recommendations to the state’s largest and most scientifically rigorous school garden study.
In conjunction with the Childhood Obesity Prevention Research Program at Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), Clinton School students Charles Fleeman of Los Angeles, Calif., Ann Owen of Little Rock, Ark., and Jenna Rhodes of Kansas City, Mo., conducted interviews and focus groups to gather opinions from students, teachers and staff about the sustainability of school gardens that are used to promote education, wellness and health.
The team’s research focused on Cloverdale Aerospace Technology Conversion Charter Middle School and Yellville-Summit Middle School, two of the seven Arkansas schools that have participated in the Delta Garden Study, a $2 million, four-year cooperative research study funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service and administered by the Childhood Obesity Prevention Research Program at ACHRI.
Emily English, program administrator of the study, said it is designed to assess the impact of school gardens on childhood obesity, social risk factors and academic achievement in middle school students in the Central and Delta regions of Arkansas.
The Clinton School team presented their research findings to Delta Garden Study staff and provided recommendations to the two study schools.
“This team’s work will greatly increase each school’s knowledge about sustainability of their garden program, and we plan to incorporate their recommendations for capacity building and organizational planning for future programs,” English said.
ACHRI intends to use this research, combined with the data from two previous Clinton School teams, to create a manual for schools to plan, implement, and sustain new school gardens across the nation.
The students completed the project as part of the Clinton School Practicum program, which sends students into the field to complete a comprehensive public service project as part of the Master of Public Service degree program.
About the Delta Garden Study
The Delta Garden Study is a childhood obesity prevention research study funded by the USDA Agricultural Research Service and implemented through the Childhood Obesity Prevention Research Program at Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research Institute in Little Rock, Arkansas. The Delta Garden Study measures the impact of school gardens on youth fruit and vegetable intake, physical activity, academic achievement and school bonding. From 2010-2013, Delta Garden Study has implemented seven school garden programs in Arkansas.
More information about the Delta Garden Study is available at www.arteengarden.com.
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