The Teaching Garden at USC

The WCRF planted a Teaching Garden at The USC Keck School of Medicine to help connect the dots between the health of our environment and the health of ourselves.

Having Dean Puliafito address his medical students and elementary school kids in the garden was a powerful experience. He himself, a gardener, acknowledged fully the importance of a healthy plant based diet for the prevention of cancer. 

The kids were thrilled to dig in the dirt. They connected deeply to idea of planting a seed in nutrient rich soil, adding water and sunshine and ultimately harvesting food that was good for them. It is proven that when kids are invested in the process of growing fruits and veggies they are much more likely to actually eat them!! 

This science based garden activity and the garden itself was dedicated with love in memory of Nancy Short. She was a lover of the outdoors and as the daughter of a doctor appreciated greatly the work of scientists/researchers. We felt teaching science outdoors in the garden while providing healthy food for children was a meaningful way to honor Nancy's beautiful life.