We founded Garden Apprentice Program (GAP) in 2012 to serve Black and Latinx students at Fremont High School in South LA and to nurture the next generation of environmental, health and policy leaders who will advance social equity in South LA and beyond. The Wellness Center and Garden at Fremont High School (a LANLT project built in partnership with LAUSD and UMMA Community Clinic in 2012) hosts our GAP and boasts a California native plant garden, fruit tree orchard,1,600-square foot greenhouse and garden beds.
GAP provides hands-on learning experiences to students enrolled in the program. Students learn about soil science, water conservation and modern food systems while also receiving nutrition education and self-care classes, going on field trips, developing professional skills and getting lots of time to work in the garden. In January, our GAP students installed a stormwater swale and landscaped their school garden with California native plants.
[Cover Photo: Garden Apprentice Program cohort from Fremont High School planting California native species.]
