Altamont Creek Elementary systematically integrates sustainability into the curriculum, focusing on improving health and wellness, reducing waste, and empowering the community as problem solvers and part of the solution. In 2017, Altamont Creek created a model solid waste program to reduce waste and increase food recovery and donation. Students collected data about how much food was being shared during the lunch period by tallying and categorizing how many items were put on and taken from the lunchroom share table. The school collected and donated unwanted food from the share table and surplus food from the kitchen to a local food pantry. In the 2019–20 school year, Altamont Creek rescued 2,632 pounds of surplus food. The school’s science curriculum teaches students about agriculture through hands-on activities in the two outdoor garden instruction areas. In addition, all first through fifth-grade students at Altamont Creek receive instructional time in the school’s garden accompanied by California Next Generation Science Standards-aligned lessons taught in their classroom or the school's science lab. The school’s science teacher extends garden lessons to integrate environmental concepts and create place-based investigations.
(PDF)