Written by Alexa

Since 2006, the HEAL Project has been educating over 3,200 students within San Mateo County on the importance of good health, a sustainable environment, locally grown agriculture as well as key learning fundamentals. Their long-term goal is to be able to deliver a garden-based education to all children within the district. They follow within a California academic standards science based curriculum complete with their own set of programs. HEAL offers various courses for students including a 34 week HEAL class designed for 2^nd and 3^rd graders to connect them to their environment, a Garden Club for 4^th/5^th grade students, and a Summer School Garden Club for grades 1-7. HEAL and the San Mateo Health Department also offers a free, interactive farm program for students. School Farm was first introduced in September of 2010, with the goals of bringing students closer to their environment and a greater appreciation for where their food comes from. Students will visit the farm twice a year, once in the fall to plant and then in the spring to harvest their plants, and take them home to be enjoyed. In 2009, the HEAL Project joined forces with ten regional garden-based educational groups as well as HealthTrust (http://www.healthtrust.org/) to form a new group called the Silicon Valley Health Corps. Together, they help endorse healthier eating as well as physical activity for residents of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.

In 2007, Sustainable San Mateo County and The City of Menlo Park Environmental Quality Commission recognized Atherton's Laurel School for their efforts in reducing school waste. With the help of Allied Waste’s Composting for Business program, Laurel School’s Zero Waste efforts have saved more than 11 tons of garbage since 2005. By bringing recycling and composting practices to the school’s cafeteria, the zero waste program makes responsible environmental action part of the students’ daily routine.

On July 1, 2008, California banned all public schools from selling junk food under the Food Nutrition Standards Bill. The purpose of this bill was to reduce the rate of childhood obesity. As a result, food manufacturers have tried to change their snacks to meet the standards in the bill.

Hidden Villa's Environmental Education Program
Hidden Villa's Environmental Education Program (HVEEP) was founded in 1970 as a hands-on environmental educational experience for young, school-aged children. The program “teaches concepts of ecology, organic food production and environmental education” by providing a direct and guided experience of Hidden Villa’s farm and wilderness land.

Dependence on fossil fuel energy sources is a continued threat to the long-term sustainability of our community. While most people know that wind, geothermal, and solar energy are fast growing industries in California, few have the knowledge or background in these areas to make a career in alternative energy. In fact, with a stagnant economy and high unemployment, renewable and alternative energy careers (so called “green tech” jobs) are one of the few areas of job growth in the country.

Most county residents assume that to use your local library, you need to get in your car (or bike or bus) and head to your local branch. And while your local library is still a fantastic resource for hands on learning and research, you can also access a lot of the same information right from the comfort of your home.

Bottom Line: Experts from all branches of science meet monthly to discuss a wide variety of topics with interested community members at SRI International in Menlo Park.

When Roger Whiting and Nancy Peterson founded Café Scientifique Silicon Valley in 2004, science cafés were nearly unheard of in the U.S. For its first event, Café Scientifique invited Stanford physicist and Nobel Laureate Doug Osheroff to discuss "The Columbia Accident Investigation and the Future of Human Space Flight.”

There are many environmental education programs offered throughout San Mateo County. These incredible programs give students opportunities to observe natural ecosystems, engage in hands-on discovery activities, and receive knowledgeable scientific instruction. These valuable programs lead students to an appreciation of the natural world and an awareness of the importance of responsible environmental stewardship. There is a range of affordable or free environmental educational programs available for student groups, teachers, individuals, and families.

The San Mateo Community College District is a three-college district located between San Francisco and Silicon Valley. The College of San Mateo, Canada College in Redwood City, and Skyline College in San Bruno serve more than 40,000 students each year and offer the first two years of instruction in a wide variety of 4-year college transfer programs as well as more than 90 vocational-technical programs.

Bottom Line: The Bay Area Gardeners Foundation has provided $49,500 in scholarships to 31 low-income students, now in college, since its inception in 2006.

Catalino Tapia, a 2008 Sustainable San Mateo Award Winner, thought the odds were against him when he wanted to start a scholarship foundation in 2002. He had difficulty convincing his friends and the Latino community that it was possible for a Mexican immigrant gardener to raise money for low-income Latino high school students to go to college. So it wasn't until 2005, when he took a long drive on Highway 5 to Los Angeles that he realized he had the power and strength within himself to make the Bay Area Gardeners Foundation a reality. All he had to do was ask for help, and success came soon after.