Perennial Partnerships

Roosevelt Middle School, International Baccalaureate Magnet San Diego, CA

Roosevelt Partnerships


Roosevelt shares the property with San Diego Zoo. It’s a unique partnership that has allowed them to be innovative and creative with their garden program. The Zoo uses the space for weekend and summer camping programs. In turn, they provide water, electricity, and much of the infrastructure for the garden.

Sustaining Roosevelt's Garden Program


Roosevelt has a mature garden program with structure and sustainability, and it’s taken over seven years to get there. At Roosevelt, the program takes place after school, with a group of volunteer students who form a Garden Club. “When you have it after school, you find that students have the greatest amount of ownership and they can really do stuff.

The Garden Program


“Having fresh fruits and vegetables in this area is really important, because the number of liquor stores and convenience stores outnumber the food outlets. It’s really neat to come out here when we have tomatoes and see the students eat them like they are apples. The students in the club are the only ones who get to enjoy the produce—the ones who work get to take it home.