School gardens have grown in popularity as a way to expand learning opportunities outside the classroom and promote environmental awareness and healthy eating habits with students. Today in California, there are more than 3,800 school gardens. But in a recent opinion piece in The Atlantic, Caitlin Flanagan argues that while this might be fine for an after-school activity, garden-based curricula have no benefit on academic performance and are a misuse of classroom time, especially in a state with high drop-out rates. Are school gardens providing valuable hands-on learning, or would the time and money be better spent on other subjects?
Guests:
Caitlin Flanagan, author of Cultivating Failure, in the February issue of The Atlantic
Marianne Brown, MS in public health & master gardener who volunteers at 3 LAUSD school gardens, including the Venice High School Learning Garden