Suisun Valley School (SVS) enriches its educational program with agriscience on its two-acre farm. A full-time agriscience teacher designs and coordinates agriscience lessons and project-based learning activities to engage students in caring for all aspects of the school’s garden. SVS combines food, nutrition, and physical health education in a partnership between the agriscience teacher and the physical education team. Teachers link what students are growing and eating in the garden to health education focused on nutrition and movement. Students participate in the entire farm-to-fork cycle, directly linking healthy soil, healthy produce, healthy food choices, healthy humans, and a healthy planet. All campus landscape is xeriscaping, and site irrigation uses targeted drip systems, allowing for specific areas to be watered while maximizing water conservation and absorption. Sixth-grade students designed and currently maintain two 2,500-gallon cistern rain harvester systems that function with solar and wind energy. In 2019, SVS built an 8,000 square foot library, office, staff workspace, and Innovation Lab complex using state-of-the-art materials and systems with an emphasis on plumbing, insulation, natural lighting, natural colors, and views that allow the building’s occupants to connect with the surrounding landscape. In 2021, the complex received the Outstanding Project award from Learning by Design Awards of Excellence.
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