The Thriving Community Gardens Act would expand how schools can use federal education funding to support student health and wellness by allowing them to develop and maintain school and community gardens alongside traditional nutrition and physical education programs. The bill amends existing education law to add garden development and maintenance as an eligible use of Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants, which go to schools and districts nationwide. The legislation directs the Secretary of Education to collect information from schools using funds for community gardens, identify best practices based on what works well, and publish those recommendations on the Department of Education's website with regular updates. This bill aims to help schools integrate gardening into their health and wellness efforts, potentially providing students with hands-on learning about nutrition, environmental stewardship, and healthy living while creating accessible green space in their communities. No specific funding amounts or implementation timelines are specified in the bill.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.