Continuum of Evidence

This program is for students who are in preschool through high school.

GrowingGreat® programs are community- and school-based gardening programs that are designed to inspire healthy eating among youth. These programs teach students about the importance of nutrition and the values of gardening and eating fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables.

No peer-reviewed publications evaluating the effectiveness of this program were located.

GrowingGreat school garden programs focus on nutrition, gardening, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), and literacy education. Schools install permanent garden beds or build alternatives to permanent garden beds, if space is limited. Children receive garden-related classroom lessons, plant produce in the fall and spring, tend and harvest their crops, sell surplus at student-run school farmers' markets, compost the garden debris to maintain the soil, and eat their produce during classroom harvest celebrations. Growing Great offers the following programs in English and Spanish:

GrowingGreat from Home – GrowingGreat educators provide virtual support to students, families, and teachers through activities including a virtual garden club, the GrowingGreat PenPal Program, the GrowingGreat Reading Club, a GrowingGreat Book Giveaway, GrowingGreat in the Kitchen, and GrowingGreat Webinars;
Early Childhood Education – Students engage in hands-on STEM learning through garden and nutrition education and participate in activities such as read-aloud stories, sing-along songs, and healthy snacking;
Elementary School Education – Students learn basic nutrition concepts, how to create a balanced meal using MyPlate, and how to critically read nutrition labels, and they participate in gardening activities where GrowingGreat educators assist in the planning, planting, tending, and harvesting of a garden. Finally, students practice STEM concepts through hands-on experiments such as seed dissections and aqueduct engineering; and
Teen programs – Students participate in hands-on cooking classes through the GrowingGreat Chefs program and engage in garden education.

GrowingGreat partners with Del Monte Foods, Inc., and Del Monte is sponsoring GrowingGreat Veggies & Fruit: A National STEM Education Program. This program is implemented in science centers, children’s museums, and zoos across the country, and gardens are transformed into outdoor STEM labs that can teach youth about the science of healthy eating and how to make healthy food selections.

GrowingGreat, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, was developed in 1999 and currently trains and manages more than 200 volunteers each year. The program has served over 150,000 students and families.

GrowingGreat staff and educators implement this program. GrowingGreat also provides professional development to teachers. Please use details in the Contact section to learn more.

Considerations for implementing this program include acquiring buy-in from school administration and teachers and/or community leaders and centers, understanding some aspects of this program (e.g., garden beds, gardening tools, seeds, soil) will need to be funded, finding suitable space for gardening with adequate lighting and water supplies, and making time during the established school day for lessons.

The Clearinghouse can help address these considerations. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

If you are interested in implementing GrowingGreat, the Clearinghouse is interested in helping you!
Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

Garden and nutrition programs are delivered over 1 school year. Students receive up to 12 hours of classroom instruction when schools participate in both programs (i.e., garden education and nutrition education). Time to create and maintain gardens will vary.

Information on implementation costs was not located. Please use details in the Contact section to learn more.

To move GrowingGreat to the Promising category on the Clearinghouse Continuum of Evidence, at least one evaluation should be performed demonstrating positive effects lasting at least six months from program completion.

The Clearinghouse can help you develop an evaluation plan to ensure the program components are meeting your goals. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

Contact the Clearinghouse with any questions regarding this program.
Phone: 1-877-382-9185 Email: Clearinghouse@psu.edu

You may also contact GrowingGreat by mail 2711 N. Sepulveda Blvd. #279, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266, phone 1-310-939-9216, email info@growinggreat.org, or visit https://growinggreat.org/contact/

This program is for students who are in preschool through high school.

No peer-reviewed publications evaluating the effectiveness of this program were located.

GrowingGreat from Home – GrowingGreat educators provide virtual support to students, families, and teachers through activities including a virtual garden club, the GrowingGreat PenPal Program, the GrowingGreat Reading Club, a GrowingGreat Book Giveaway, GrowingGreat in the Kitchen, and GrowingGreat Webinars;
Early Childhood Education – Students engage in hands-on STEM learning through garden and nutrition education and participate in activities such as read-aloud stories, sing-along songs, and healthy snacking;
Elementary School Education – Students learn basic nutrition concepts, how to create a balanced meal using MyPlate, and how to critically read nutrition labels, and they participate in gardening activities where GrowingGreat educators assist in the planning, planting, tending, and harvesting of a garden. Finally, students practice STEM concepts through hands-on experiments such as seed dissections and aqueduct engineering; and
Teen programs – Students participate in hands-on cooking classes through the GrowingGreat Chefs program and engage in garden education.