Partnering with the Pajaro Valley School District - Update

With Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s (PVUSD) three-year contract with Life Lab having concluded as of June 30th, together we wanted to share an update regarding PVUSD’s Expanded Learning after-school garden and nutrition programs. Initially funded through ESSER Funds (COVID-19 support funds), which are now sunsetting, PVUSD is this year transitioning in part to Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP) funding, approved by the California Department of Education.

PVUSD and Life Lab have worked in close partnership since 2016 to deepen the garden education started in 2007 by PVUSD’s Expanded Learning. Over the past five months, the Life Lab Board and Management have collaborated closely with PVUSD to plan a future programming model for garden and nutrition education that centers the needs of students.

Through collective decision-making, it was determined that due to shifting programmatic priorities within Life Lab, having them continue to provide after-school garden and nutrition staffing was not the optimal approach moving forward. The collective group, including PVUSD and the Life Lab Board and Senior Leadership, agreed to transition these after-school staff positions to PVUSD in order to enhance systems, support, and sustainability, while ensuring the best programming for PVUSD students. We believe that this decision leans into the best practices and strengths of each partner - Life Lab will continue offering exceptional professional development opportunities for educators locally and nationwide, while operating summer camps and internships at their Garden Classroom in Santa Cruz, CA, while PVUSD will provide the essential staffing to maintain after-school garden and nutrition instruction.

PVUSD’s student engagement and learning priority remains unchanged: to offer enriching hands-on experiences to PVUSD students.

Over the past three years, the Life Lab staff and program have played a significant role in fostering a culture of engaged learning and student inquiry in PVUSD’s after-school programming.

PVUSD and Life Lab are both immensely grateful for this partnership and are excited about the future growth of our programs. We continue to be in discussion together, as we are committed to building upon the knowledge and experiences to nurture a community in which our students and families are thriving.