- Author: Chutima Ganthavorn
- Contributor: Jackie Barahona
Science Night is an evening of hands-on science activities for students and their families to do together. Science Night is an opportunity for parents to visit their children's schools to celebrate student learning. Since the coronavirus pandemic has prevented this type of school gathering this year, some elementary schools in Coachella Valley Unified organized virtual Science Night events using the Zoom platform to keep families engaged. Being a community partner that promotes student health and wellness, the CalFresh Healthy Living, UC Cooperative Extension (CFHL, UCCE) was invited to participate. Our CFHL, UCCE Educators: Jackie Barahona, Daisy Valdez, Itzel Palacios-Sanchez and Esmeralda Nunez presented ‘Plant Anatomy' which is adapted from the Eat Your Plants lesson from the TWIGS nutrition and gardening curriculum. Students and families had fun on Zoom learning about edible plant parts and the benefits of eating vegetables and fruits. When asked what they took away from this session, one student commented in the chat "I learned that some vegetables are considered fruits" and another said "I learned more about plants and that we can eat them." The event was held on December 3, 2020, jointly for the Cesar Chavez and Valle Del Sol Elementary Schools, and on December 9, 2020 for Saul Martinez Elementary.
Our CFHL, UCCE team is thankful for the opportunity to be a partner in the virtual Science Night events and is pleased with the positive feedback from the Principal at Saul Martinez:
“I want to take a moment to thank the entire team that made our very first Saul Martinez Virtual Family Science Fair a huge success! Our Saul Martinez students and parents were engaged in critical thinking on the scientific process and I have received much positive feedback from our families! At the end of the event, one student sent me a private message in the zoom chat, “This is fun, when are we doing science night again?” That question right there equals success!! I hope we can do this again in the near future!”
- Author: Claudia Carlos
- Author: Chutima Ganthavorn
- Editor: Michele Tabor
With technology, the traditional brain break in the classroom has gone digital! Over 650 teachers participated in the Brain Breaks in the Virtual World session at the Alvord Unified Distance Learning Virtual Summit on August 3, 2020. CalFresh Healthy Living (CFHL), UCCE Riverside County teamed up with Bethany Rivera, Wellness Lead at Loma Vista Middle School, to provide this training for TK through 12th grade teachers. The Virtual Summit hosted on Google Meets featured teachers teaching their peers - about live online learning strategies and socioemotional distance learning. The CFHL, UCCE team's presentation included four virtual physical activity breaks (brain breaks) demonstrations for lower elementary, upper elementary, middle and high school. The team created a teacher resource list with links to virtual PA videos for the four grade levels.
For any student (and adult), sitting in front of a device to do distance learning is a lot of mental work and students may need a break in the middle of their virtual classes. CFHL, UCCE team showed real life examples of brain break activities appropriate for different age groups. Out of the 230 teachers who responded to the Mentimeter poll, 88% said they are very likely or likely to schedule a physical activity break during their virtual lessons. The Riverside CFHL, UCCE team is grateful for the strong partnership with Alvord Unified (AUSD) which led to this training opportunity and the support of Patti Suppe, CAHPERD President and past AUSD District Wellness Lead. We are hopeful that Alvord students will greatly benefit from the resources shared at this session.
Aldrich Tan, Special Education Teacher at McAuliffe Elementary School shared feedback after the training: “You were amazing! Teachers in the stands loved it and they loved the opportunities to stand up. One teacher said it was the best session of the day.”
- Author: Chutima Ganthavorn
- Contributor: Nicole Ogosi
A small edible garden has started in the Eastside neighborhood of Riverside with funding from the City of Riverside's Small Spark Community Development Block Grant. Also assisting with the garden are the CalFresh Healthy Living team from the University of California (CFHL,UC), as well as UCCE Master Gardeners, Michael Fisher and Thurman Howard. The UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Advisor helped Riverside Faith Temple apply for the grant to start a community garden earlier this year (2019). The small grant was used to purchase materials and supplies for four garden beds and a garden shed.
Help was also provided by the Inland Empire Job Corps youth who came out three times to help clean up the lot and put together the garden shed. It took the Job Corp youth and Pastor Duane five hours to assemble the shed in about 100-degree weather in September. They had not planned on working that long that day, but the IE Job Corps team demonstrated great team work and perseverance and got the job done. The four small garden beds are just the first step. The lot, which is about 1.5 acres in size, will need a lot of assistance and time to turn into a community garden. The Faith Temple is currently looking for a grant or donations to help pay for a water meter. If you know of any funding that might be able to help with this project, please email the UCCE Advisor at cganthavorn@ucanr.edu.
- Author: Claudia Carlos
- Author: Chutima Ganthavorn
- Contributor: Eva Mayer, UCCE Master Gardener
Earlier this school year, over 50 students, parents, Master Gardeners and school staff, including Principal Jeffrey Diulio gathered after school in the school garden to watch Chef Sean Stewart cook three delicious fall soups: pumpkin, Green Goddess, and Acqua Cotta (“Cooked Water”). UC Master Gardener Eva Mayer said, “Presentation was gorgeous, it looked as good as it all tasted! The pumpkin soup had a crème fraîche swirl and pumpkin seeds on top - sorry I didn't take a photo before eating it." With Eva's guidance, garden club youth transplanted cardinal vines seedlings, which hummingbirds love, and sold them for 25 cents each. Chef Sean's 6th grader sold flowers grown in her home garden to raise money for future cooking demonstrations in the garden. Her flower arrangements and sales brought in $34.00! Youth garden club members were very pleased to try the fall soups with toasted French baguette and even purchased seedlings to support their own school garden.
CFHL,UC and UC Master Gardeners partnership has introduced youth, parents and staff to gardening, cooking skills and trying new vegetables such as spinach, kale, and pumpkin grown in the school garden. CFHL,UC has seen an increase in garden club participation from just 3-5 students on Friday mornings before school to groups of 10-15 twice a week.
Arizona Middle School, CFHL,UC and Master Gardeners are especially grateful for parent champions, Raquel and Sean, for recently submitting a garden grant and for donating their time, talent and for generously providing so much to the Arizona Middle School Garden.
- Author: Claudia Carlos
- Author: Chutima Ganthavorn
- Contributor: Itzel Palacios-Sanchez
On the first Thursday of every month at the Community Settlement Association in Eastside Riverside, garden club members gather to participate in a monthly club meeting with CalFresh Healthy Living, UC's Nutrition Educator Itzel Palacios-Sanchez. Members shared that participating in the garden club has given them a community engagement opportunity to build new relationships and learn skills they take home to help educate their families.
On December 5, 2019, Itzel invited the Master Gardener Mike Horak to present on how to prune fruit trees. CSA has several fruit trees and some are not currently producing quality fruits. CSA garden club members had the opportunity to ask questions and get advice from the fruit tree expert. After Mike's engaging and informative presentation, CSA garden club members gained the knowledge and confidence to properly prune the fruit trees and protect their trees from diseases such as the Asian citrus psyllid.
Afterward, club members celebrated the holiday season with a family day potluck. Members brought food and shared their homemade dishes, including holiday favorites such as pozole, atole de guayaba, arroz con leche and buñuelos.
For 2020, CSA club members will continue to acquire garden skills to sustain their personal garden beds at CSA as they make new friends and volunteer in their local community garden. They hope to grow enough fresh produce to supplement the weekly food distribution at CSA.
