*Continuing Education Contact Hour Opportunity Pending Community Gardens: Interactions between Communities, Schools, and Impact on Students Matthew R. Bice, James Ball, Nate Bickford, Sonja H. Bickford, Angela Hollman, Ava Coughlin, Danae Dinkel, Richard C. Meyer and Dustin H. Ranglack Abstract improved nutrition, increased levels of physical activity, heightened community desire for better social-economical Considering over one-third of the United States’ relationships, and enriched psychological wellbeing. population is now considered obese, childhood obesity has Community gardens are effective and the integration within become a highlighted public health concern. Educators and schools could prove to be an effective means to promote health professionals have spent a significant amount of time health. The direct impacts of community gardens potentially examining how to approach the obesity epidemic, specifically provide a unique route to address childhood obesity through childhood obesity, yet there is still no clear solution. An skill-based learning. This manuscript provides a commentary alternative that could prove to be effective is the collaboration to advocate for the collaboration between community gardens of community gardens and schools. Community gardens are organizations and local schools (elementary and middle) as an indirectly organized to address public health agendas through avenue to promote health. community engagement and used for a broad spectrum of community needs ranging from enhanced food security, Introduction *Matthew R. Bice, PhD., University of Nebraska at Kearney, As school days lengthen and extracurricular activities Assistant Professor, 1410 W. 26th Street, Kearney, continue to absorb free time, people, especially young children, Nebraska, 68847; Email:
[email protected]; Phone: 308- need to create space and time to interact with the outside world 865-8052; Fax: 308-865-8073 of nature (Driessnack, 2009; Louv, 2008).