Thriving Community Gardens Act

This bill would let schools use existing Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants to build and care for school or community gardens. It also highlights healthy living by supporting nutrition education and regular, structured physical education, including programs led by school nurses or other health professionals to help manage chronic conditions for students.

The Department of Education would collect information from school districts that use these funds for gardens, share best practices on a public website, and keep those tips up to date so more schools can learn what works.

Key points:

• Who is affected: Public schools, students, and nearby communities that can use or help with school/community gardens.
• What changes: Grant funds could be used to start and maintain gardens; more support for nutrition education and regular physical education; federal sharing of garden best practices.
• Why it matters: Gardens can teach kids about healthy food, give hands-on learning, and bring communities together, while shared best practices help schools do it well.