[img_assist|fid=154|thumb=1|alt=Solutionary Women: Abby Rosenheck|caption=With permission from Abby Rosenheck]

Contributing Editor, Britt Bravo, also blogs at Have Fun * Do Good and NetSquared. Hey y'all, my second Solutionary Woman is Abby Rosenheck and yes, she is a friend of mine, but sometimes we have to start with who we know first, right?

Abby started a school gardening nonprofit a couple years ago called Urban Sprouts that works in the San Francisco public middle schools. The program's curriculum is integrated into the students' science class where they learn not only about gardening, but about food, health and nutrition. I went and helped out in the classroom last fall and was amazed at how the students mellowed out once they were outside and moving around in the garden. It is a shame that all young people aren't given an opportunity to learn in a variety of ways, not just sitting at a desk.

I helped Abby start an Urban Sprouts blog that she writes with two other bloggers. She has some great resources up right now for people interested in school gardens. Here are a few.

The new website of the California School Garden Network seems to be the most comprehensive resource so far, with lists of curriculum, contacts, trainings, funding opportunities, and policy and research citations.

Occidental Arts & Ecology Center School Garden Training, Sonoma, CA
This is an incredible 5-day training at an organic garden where you learn the basics of horticulture plus the nitty gritty of starting and sustaining a school garden. The garden basics are like a VERY condensed form of what you get at the UCSC Farm & Garden Apprenticeship, but for school garden educators. SFUSD schools serving low-income communities can go for free.

Gardening and Composting Educator Training Program (GCETP or "the Get Up Class" for short)
This training based out of San Francisco's Garden for the Environment teaches the basics of gardening and composting (geared for urban home and community gardens) and how to teach them to others. Many of our BEST Urban Sprouts volunteers are graduates of this excellent program.

If you know a Solutionary Woman who works at a nonprofit or NGO, please email me at britt at brittbravo dot com with their name, organization and contact info.

Britt Bravo
Nonprofit & NGO Contributing Editor
Have Fun * Do Good
NetSquared