February 24, 2025
Call to action: support SB 341 with us
How to sign on to the SB 341 letter of support and help the bill through its first committees.
The newsletter
Call to Action: Support SB 341!
Announcement
Our bill, SB 341, was introduced on February 12 by author Senator Sasha Renee Perez (D-Alhambra) and coauthors Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (R-Yucaipa) and Senator Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park). Thank you, to the three Senators and broader coalition, for elevating the importance of instructional school gardens!
We are working with Senator Perez’s office to ensure passage of the bill as it goes through both houses. Some additional authors and amendments to the bill are possible during this process.
We have three requests from you!
1. Sign on to SB 341 Letter of Support
SB 341 takes a critical first step in restarting and expanding California's unused, unfunded Instructional School Garden Program (ISGP) to include instruction and maintenance, so school districts can integrate garden-based learning into the curriculum, fostering the next generation of environmentally literate, engaged, and thriving students. Sign on to show your support!
Deadline: Friday, March 7, 2025
Sign on to the letter of support
Share the request with your network!
2. Contribute 10 Minutes of Your Time to Contribute Financially
We encourage our nonprofit partners to spend 10 minutes to apply for a Whole Foods Market Community - Store Giving Program through your local store/s for general operating support by April 13. If selected, your organization may receive about $1,000 and all or some of those funds could be contributed to the CA School Garden Coalition for non-political community education, engagement, and project management to support school gardens in your region. For questions, contact Vicki Moore or Anna Jackson.
Please consider a financial contribution starting at $500 to support the $55,000 we are raising for the project management of our work through the end of the legislative calendar in September. Thank you to Living Classroom, Growing Together, Sage Garden Project, School Garden Doctor, and Ventura Farm to School for making contributions!
3. Join our Advocacy Day!
Calling all students, teachers, school administrators, parents, advocates, and organizations who want to advocate for school garden-based education!
Register to join us on April 9 in Sacramento to share about school garden-based education to raise awareness for the need of instructional school gardens with your legislators!
We’ll provide participants with everything they need to:
- Fundraise to cover travel costs
- Schedule meetings with representatives
- Discuss key points
For questions, contact Anna Jackson.
Other Ways to Partner
Please partner with us in any way that you can! Partnership opportunities include providing at least 4 hours of staff time for outreach on behalf of the coalition. We will provide an overview and template.
Opportunity for Local Pilots
We’re encouraging our broader coalition and legislators to submit district funding requests to launch Instructional School Garden Program pilots at the local level during phase 1 . These pilots would allow nonprofit garden education providers to demonstrate the impact of garden-based instruction in their regions, helping shape the statewide program’s future.
Why take action?
✅ District requests can secure millions in funding for county agencies and nonprofit partners.
✅ They create opportunities to expand and sustain your garden education programs.
✅ Early local implementation ensures your region helps inform the statewide rollout.
Senator Dave Cortese’s office has already submitted a request, and we expect more guidance on the district request soon. If you're interested in working with your local legislator to propose a district-funded pilot, reply to this email! We’ll be sharing a template and key resources to help you get started.
Please let us know if you have any questions!
Thank you,
Linda Livers
On behalf of the CA School Garden Coalition Leadership Team