CTR079037_Contractor_Response.pdf

RFGA SUBMISSION:

SCALING ARIZONA’S DIG IN SCHOOLS INITIAVE FOR SUSTAINABLE SCHOOL GARDENS

RFGA NO.: BPM007053

Table of Contents

ATTACHMENT 1: GRANT APPLICATION

ATTACHMENT 2: APPLICANT INFORMATION

ATTACHMENT 3: NARRATIVE RESPONSE TO SCOPE OF WORK

ATTACHMENT 4: EXPERIENCE AND CAPABILITY

ATTACHMENT 5: PROPOSED COSTS AND BUDGET

ATTACHMENT 6: DEVIATIONS AND EXCEPTIONS

ATTACHMENT 7: CONFIDENTIAL/PROPRIETARY SUBMITTALS

ATTACHMENT 8: DESIGNATION OF CONFIDENTIAL, TRADE SECRET, PROPRIETARY INFORMATION

ATTACHMENT 9: PARTICIPATION IN BOYCOTT OF ISRAEL

ATTACHMENT 10: FORCED LABOR OF ETHNIC UYGHURS BAN

OTHER ATTACHMENTS:

DIG IN SCHOOLS SAMPLE MATERIALS……………..………………………………………………………………………30

PERSONNEL RESUMES…………………………………………………………………...………………………...…......…...35

LETTERS OF SUPPORT……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..38

EXHIBIT 1: CERTIFICATE OF LIABILITY INSURANCE

ATTACHMENT 1

GRANT APPLICATION

State of Arizona Department of Education

1535 W. Jefferson Street Phoenix, AZ 85007

RFGA NO.: BPM007053

The Undersigned hereby applies and agrees to furnish the materials, service(s) or construction in compliance with all the terms, conditions, specifications, and amendments in the Request for Grant Application and any written exceptions in the Application.

Applicant’s Name Name of Person Authorized to Sign Application

(Please type or print)

Street Address Title of Authorized Person

City State Zip Code Signature of Authorized Person Date

Telephone Number:

E-Mail Address:

Acknowledgement of Amendment(s): Amendment No. Date Amendment No. Date (Applicant acknowledges receipt of amend-ment(s) to the Request for Grant Application and related documents numbered and dated

ACCEPTANCE OF APPLICATION AND GRANT AWARD

(For State of Arizona Use Only)

Your Application is hereby accepted as described in the Notice of Award. You are now bound to perform based upon the RFGA and your Application, as accepted by the State.

You are hereby cautioned not to commence any billable work or provide any material or service under this Grant until you receive an executed purchase order, Grant release document, or written notice to proceed, if applicable.

State of Arizona

Awarded this ________ day of ___________________________2025.

State Government Administrator

Arizona Board of Regents, University of Arizona

845 N. Park Avenue, Room 538 Sr. Manager, Office of Research Contracts

Tucson AZ 85721-0158

Christopher J. Barnhill

08/25/25

No. 1, August 7, 2025

Theresa LeGros Rectangle

Arizona Board of Regents, University of Arizona

Marcel Villalobos, Director - Postaward Services

845 N Park Avenue, Room 538

Tucson, AZ 85721-0158

520-626-6000 sponsor@email.arizona.edu

The University of Arizona

PO Box 41867

Tucson, AZ 85717

520-626-6000 sponsor@email.arizona.edu

Marcel Villalobos, Director - Postaward Services

ATTACHMENT 3: I. NARRATIVE RESPONSE TO THE SCOPE OF WORK

1. Describe the service or assistance program plan.

Service Name: Scaling Arizona’s DIG in Schools Initiative for Sustainable School Gardens

This proposal is designed to scale and sustain an existing, Arizona-specific initiative called Developing Integrated Gardens in Schools (DIG in Schools). According to Burt et al. (2017),1 a well-integrated school garden “is maintained...at or near a school, is primarily used as a learning environment to create meaningful experiences for students, is a valued part of the school's culture, and is sustained over time." Indeed, the more schools integrate their gardens into their overall structure and function, the more sustainable those gardens become.1,9

Recognizing this, in 2023 our University of Arizona-based community health and evaluation team created DIG in Schools for the Arizona Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed), known as the AZ Health Zone. Since then, the AZ Health Zone has been implementing the DIG in Schools improvement process to support partner schools who seek to grow a new or ongoing garden program. Due to the October 1, 2025, sunsetting of the AZ Health Zone program, we have designed this proposal to make DIG in Schools available to all Arizona schools and partner organizations that support school gardens. This scaling is also intended to expand statewide reach and support sustainability by connecting Arizona’s school garden programs with each another as well as with technical assistance.

Our project’s two arms primarily target this Grant’s objective to strengthen connections and integration of Farm to School activities statewide:

(1) Strengthen integration of Farm to School activities statewide by developing an easy-to-use, interactive DIG in Schools web portal. The portal will house online, asynchronous training and resources accessible to all Arizona schools, Farm to School partner organizations, and state agencies, as well as an electronic tracking and reporting system (the statewide integration arm).

(2) Strengthen connections of Farm to School activities statewide by linking school garden programs with each other and with technical assistance (TA) through a statewide, virtual DIG in Schools Learning Collaborative (the statewide connections arm).

In addition, the statewide integration and connection arms are mutually reinforcing. For example, some web portal features such as the planned discussion forum serve the dual functions of connecting and integration school garden programs.

As currently designed, DIG in Schools also supports the Grant’s objective to provide nutrition and agriculture education for children in Child Nutrition Programs (CNPs) by increasing student access to this education. Thus, scaling DIG in Schools will also support efforts to expand ongoing nutrition and agricultural education.

Background: In 2023-24, our team developed and implemented DIG in Schools, an evaluation-implementation “Cycle of Change” for school garden programs. First, we completed a thorough scan of the literature and existing tools to support school gardens, including an examination of resources from the USDA,2-3 the National Farm to School Network,4-5 and other states.6-8 In particular, the evidence-based GREEN (Garden Resources, Education, and Environment Nexus) Tool1,9 guided our work, including the concept of a well-integrated garden and addressing multiple domains to achieve such a garden. However, we found these tools to be either too broad or too long to steer schools incrementally toward a more integrated garden. We also sought a tool that was particularly responsive to Arizona’s arid climate and diverse geographies, communities, and cultures. Therefore, we decided to cultivate something practical and intuitive for Arizona schools.

We used the community-engaged Delphi approach10 to recruit a panel of 29 school garden experts representing 11 of Arizona's 15 counties, including local AZ Health Zone staff, Master Gardeners, school staff, state agency representatives, and other community experts. After panelists generated a list of important conditions critical to a well-integrated school garden, we organized these into four domains that generally aligned with the GREEN Tool: Resources & Support, The Garden, Student Experience, and Community & Culture. These domains and the individual conditions in them became the sections and items in the DIG in Schools Tool. We also developed a four-stage Cycle of Change to guide schools through the process of further integrating their garden programs (see Other Attachments for sample materials).

Next, we piloted the DIG in Schools Tool and Cycle of Change across Arizona, visiting 11 school gardens—including school staff and their local garden technical assistance (TA) partners—in seven counties. Using this feedback, we finalized the 50-item DIG in Schools Tool and broader Cycle of Change, which moves users through four stages:

1. TILL: Gather people and information. Complete the “pre” DIG in Schools Tool.

2. SOW: Create an action plan using the DIG in Schools Tool results.

3. GROW: Bring your action plan to life.

4. REAP: Complete the “post” DIG in Schools Tool, celebrate the changes made, and use that harvest to decide where to go next.

We also translated the Tool into Spanish and Diné (Navajo), developed an interactive online training for local AZ Health Zone agencies to become certified DIG in Schools TA Consultants, and created supporting resources such as a Rating Guide. Meanwhile, the AZ Health Zone School Systems Specialist collected resources and created new materials to help schools create action plans and address DIG in Schools items. These materials are currently housed in the AZ Health Zone Collaborator and Evaluation Team websites.

In October 2024, the AZ Health Zone formally launched the DIG in Schools initiative, and by April 2025, local AZ Health Zone agencies voted DIG in Schools as their favorite tool out of the AZ Health Zone’s 12 evaluations. To date, 11 schools in five counties (distinct from the pilot schools) have completed the DIG in Schools Tool, progressing through the Cycle of Change and revealing a variety of garden implementation phases and needs, from “sprouting” to “growing” to “thriving”. The tool has been used in urban, suburban, and rural area schools to help establish new gardens, enhance existing gardens, and revitalize dormant gardens. In addition, our team used the data to evaluate statewide DIG in Schools outcomes to date, including garden program strengths and areas for improvement. Beyond the AZ Health Zone, we presented DIG in Schools at the National Farm to School Network meeting in July 2025.

https://www.azhealthzone.org/collaborators/tools/category/childhood/ https://nutritioneval.arizona.edu/childhood-school-and-other-youth-based-systems https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/P4cKGYrS9Jkzx9JSeUz6-y-zoc-ONeh2NKbYYWQUy3S1Y_BfXSZ5jlMDd_XONIaj.djLAMzheOKAc6EXB?startTime=1753297412000 https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/P4cKGYrS9Jkzx9JSeUz6-y-zoc-ONeh2NKbYYWQUy3S1Y_BfXSZ5jlMDd_XONIaj.djLAMzheOKAc6EXB?startTime=1753297412000

However, the SNAP-Ed program in all states will be defunded as of October 1, 2025, deeply undermining the landscape of Arizona Farm to School support for schools that have relied on TA from local AZ Health Zone staff, in some cases for decades. While existing DIG in Schools resources will remain publicly available, the training, TA, website housing, awareness campaigns, and statewide implementation and evaluation work will no longer be in operation after the program ends. Through this Grant, we see a unique opportunity to scale and sustain DIG in Schools statewide, simultaneously expanding DIG in Schools reach beyond its existing AZ Health Zone partner schools.

What is already in place to ensure successful scaling and sustainability? The DIG in Schools Tool, Cycle of Change process, and general training and certification process have already been developed, graphically designed, piloted, promoted, and effectively implemented in Arizona (see Other Attachments for examples). Moreover, local AZ Health Zone agencies’ success providing DIG in Schools support offers proof of concept that the initiative works well using a TA model.

What needs to exist to ensure successful scaling and sustainability? DIG in Schools needs to enact a plan to sustain the current Cycle of Change model and scale the initiative, opening it up to all Arizona schools. This includes: a new home in the form of a DIG in Schools web portal, accessible to schools and Farm to School partner organizations; an outreach campaign to generate awareness around DIG in Schools; a training system for schools; an incentive system for participating in DIG in Schools; and a reporting system for tracking statewide progress and outcomes. In response, we propose a two-armed project to scale the DIG in Schools initiative:

The Year 1 outreach campaign for this dual initiative includes: (1) partnering with the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) and Arizona Farm to School Network for cross-promotion of Farm to School programming (see Letters of Support),

(2) direct communication with Arizona schools and districts, and (3) social media promotion. Year 2 expands to also connect with local people and organizations that provide garden support to schools (ex. Master Gardeners, AmeriCorps, Extension).

Scaling Arizona’s for Sustainable School Gardens

The website has (1) PUBLIC FACING PAGES, including free DIG in Schools resources, and (2) a LOGIN-RESTRICTED USER PORTAL with asynchronous training & certification, e-version of the DIG in Schools Tool, user discussion forum, and reporting system.

YEAR 1 GOAL: RECRUIT 70 SCHOOL USERS

Statewide INTEGRATION Arm

WEBSITE with Asynchronous School Training, Resources, &

Reporting System

Virtual, synchronous 3-month LEARNING COLLABORATIVE for underserved Arizona Schools

Statewide CONNECTIONS Arm

The Learning Collaborative includes six live, online sessions that move schools through the DIG in Schools Cycle of Change, including the “pre” and “post” DIG in

Schools Tool. At the end, participants are certified DIG in Schools Specialists.

YEAR 1 GOAL: RECRUIT 30 SCHOOLS

Both arms get schools familiar with the DIG in

Schools web portal, encourage interaction with each other & with partner agencies, & track DIG in Schools progress.

The free DIG in Schools portal will be designed as an interactive, accessible, user-friendly web platform that houses publicly available resources (e.g., the DIG in Schools Tool and Rating Guide, resources that support changemaking) as well as restricted registered user access. Registered school representatives with logins will be able to access and complete the DIG in Schools interactive training to become certified DIG in Schools Specialists. User accounts will also enable schools to complete the DIG in Schools Tool online, connect with other schools (and eventually garden TA providers), and connect with our team for recommendations. State and local agencies with an interest in supporting Arizona Farm to School will also be able to access the web portal. In Year 1, website outreach will focus on school user recruitment, while Year 2 funding would allow for a dedicated outreach campaign to local organizations and people that support school gardens. If curious, reviewers are invited to visit https://gonapsacc.org/ for an example of an early care and education changemaking site that guides our vision.

The statewide DIG in Schools Learning Collaborative responds to robust evidence for the effectiveness of facilitated, multi-session learning opportunities that bring practitioners together—in-person or virtually—around health-related quality improvement. In their review, Knight et al. (2022)11 found collaboratives to be effective in improving target health topics, enhancing participant knowledge and motivation, strengthening practice systems and teamwork, and building overall capacity. Joly et al. (2012)12 found mini-collaboratives effective in galvanizing local public health efforts. Ghandour et al. (2017)13 note the positive effects of facilitated group learning, peer-to-peer exchange, and data sharing in strengthening partnerships, data systems, and overall progress toward public health goals.

Drawing from this evidence, the DIG in Schools Learning Collaborative is designed to foster group learning across 30 Arizona schools, strengthening their skills, motivation, and capacity to progress school gardens through expert-facilitated learning, an enhanced peer-to-peer network, and data sharing. The Learning Collaborative will be scheduled over three months when school is in session (tentatively February – April 2026) and include six virtual sessions:

1. Welcome & Overview (homework – register & explore the DIG in Schools web portal)

2. The TILL Stage (homework – complete “pre” DIG in Schools tool)

3. The SOW Stage (homework – write your action plan)

4. The GROW Stage (homework – make 2-3 changes)

5. The REAP Stage (homework – complete “post” DIG in Schools tool)

6. Celebration & Sharing (what changed, what’s next, questionnaire & focus group)

Together, the two arms of our proposed initiative align with the Arizona Department of Education (ADE)’s priority to strengthen connections and integration of Farm to School activities statewide.

Scaling DIG in Schools can help address individual schools’ challenges to sustaining Farm to School programs: The more integrated the garden program is into the school’s culture and everyday activities, the more sustainable and impactful that program can be.1,9 Therefore, as DIG in Schools is adopted more widely, the initiative also promotes the ADE priority of nutrition, agriculture, and food education for CNP recipients.

2. Detail the expected reach of the service or assistance program. Include a timeline, if known.

Expected Reach: In Year 1, we expect to reach 100 Arizona schools.

https://gonapsacc.org/

While the Statewide Integration Arm can potentially reach all Arizona schools and Farm to School TA providers, our Year 1 web portal goal is to develop the portal and recruit 70 Arizona schools serving under-resourced communities to (1) register, (2) complete the asynchronous DIG in Schools training to become a certified DIG in Schools Specialist, and (3) complete the TILL stage (I.e., the “pre” DIG in Schools Tool) by September 30, 2026. Recruitment will include a direct email campaign to a subset of CNP schools in each of Arizona’s 15 counties with high free-and-reduced-prince (FRPL) rates (>50%). In the case of lower-than-anticipated response rates, we will additionally leverage social media and partnerships with the ADHS, the Arizona Farm to School Network, and local support organizations to bolster recruitment. The first 70 schools who complete these three steps will receive a $50 e-gift certificate from The Living Seed Company and/or a local or national garden supply retailer (Note: schools that only register and complete the DIG in Schools Specialist training but not the “pre” Tool will receive a $25 certificate).

The goal of the Statewide Connections Arm is to recruit 30 schools serving under-resourced communities into the DIG in Schools virtual Learning Collaborative. Targeted school recruitment will focus on direct communication with CNP schools across Arizona with high FRPL rates (>50%) that span rural, border, and urban communities; include public and charter (but not private) schools; are roughly equally distributed among elementary, middle, and high schools; and include schools at any level of garden program development (beginning, dormant, active). Schools that complete the Learning Collaborative will be considered certified DIG in Schools Specialists, and by the last session they will have also completed a “pre” and “post” DIG in Schools Tool. In return, each school will receive the same $50 e-gift certificates from The Living Seed Company and/or a local or national garden supply retailer as the web portal participants above. Beyond this, because Learning Collaborative participation is more time- and resource-intense, each participant will also be individually reimbursed $300 for completing the Learning Collaborative.

Our Year 1 timeline is outlined below, along with potential activities for future years:

Oct Planning, Systems Set Up, & State-Level Collaboration for Both Arms

• Attend All Grantee Kick-off Meeting

• Plan web portal development & connect with Go NAPSACC to learn from them

• Set up management system for stipends, gift cards, and reinforcement items

• Hold initial meetings with the ADHS and Arizona Farm to School Network

• Modify the existing DIG in School training for all Arizona schools

Nov Statewide Integration Arm

• Begin Web portal development

• Collect/develop DIG in Schools Cycle of Change resources

• Develop a DIG in Schools Specialist certification tracking system

Dec Statewide Integration Arm

• Continue web portal development

• Translate key resources into Spanish Statewide Connections Arm

• Develop the Learning Collaborative training sessions

• Initiate targeted school recruitment into the Learning Collaborative https://www.livingseedcompany.com/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=15801431719&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI79mY8eCDjwMVLylECB0Q9RFKEAAYASAAEgKKwfD_BwE

Jan Submit Q1 Invoice Statewide Integration Arm

• Complete beta testing for the web portal, resource uploads, & final site revisions Statewide Connections Arm

• Complete school recruitment into Learning Collaborative

• Continue to develop the Learning Collaborative trainings

Feb Statewide Integration Arm

• Feb 2, 2026: Launch the web portal (the Learning Collaborative will use it) Statewide Connections Arm

• Week 1: Host Session 1 - Welcome & Overview

• Week 3: Host Session 2 - TILL

Mar Statewide Integration Arm

• Design a DIG in Schools outreach campaign for all Arizona schools

• Coordinate cross-promotion with ADHS & AZ Farm to School Network Statewide Connections Arm

• Week 1: Host Session 3 -SOW

• Week 3: Host Session 4 - GROW

Apr Complete Mid-year Report Submit Q2 Invoice Statewide Integration Arm

• Implement the outreach plan, including cross-promotion with partners Statewide Connections Arm

• Week 3: Host Session 5 – REAP (1 month for changes & avoids most AZ testing)

• Week 4: Host Session 6 - Celebration & Sharing session

May Statewide Integration Arm

• Continue to implement the outreach plan & cross-promotion

• Send & track the $50 e-gift cards to schools that complete required activities Statewide Connections Arm

• Send/track the $300 stipends & the $50 e-gift cards to Collaborative participants

• Complete the mixed methods analysis of Learning Collaborative data

Jun Statewide Integration Arm

• Continue to implement the outreach plan & cross-promotion

• Send & track he $50 e-gift cards to schools that complete required activities Statewide Connections Arm

• Complete reporting (developmental & summative evaluation)

Jul Submit Q3 Invoice Statewide Integration Arm

• Continue to implement the outreach plan & cross-promotion, initiate Year 2 planning

• Send & track the $50 e-gift cards to schools that complete required activities Statewide Connections Arm

• Share Learning Collaborative findings with the ADHS & AZ Farm to School Network

Aug Statewide Integration Arm

• Continue to implement the outreach plan & cross-promotion

• Send & track the $50 e-gift cards to schools that complete required activities

• Intensify Year 2/sustainability planning

• Complete the reach & user feedback evaluation around Statewide Integration Statewide Connections Arm

• Use the findings & discussion to revise the Learning Collaborative sessions & materials

Sep Statewide Integration Arm

• Continue to implement the outreach plan & cross-promotion

• Send & track the $50 e-gift cards to schools that complete the required activities

• Continue Year 2/sustainability planning—prepay next year’s web domain, hosting, etc.

• Complete reporting (developmental & summative evaluation)

Oct Submit Q4 invoice Year 1 Reporting

• Complete the end-of-year Summary & Impact Report

• Present at the Grantor’s Arizona Farm to School public gathering or meeting

Future year activities will be contingent upon funding for Years 2-5. If funded, Year 2 priorities will include activities to further enhance the sustainability of DIG in Schools in Arizona:

Statewide Integration Arm

• Explore new web portal capabilities, for example action plan development customized to users based upon their DIG in Schools Tool ratings and goals.

• Develop recognition systems for schools, for example digital badges, incentives for making progress with school gardens, and state-level recognition.

• Continue the Year 1 outreach campaign to reach new schools.

• Add a new outreach campaign and training for local garden TA providers and organizations, e.g., Master Gardeners, community volunteers, AmeriCorps, Cooperative Extension units, local health departments, and members of the Arizona Farm to School Network. These TA providers would be invited to register in the web portal and complete a new, asynchronous training similar to the school training, but focused on TA partners, to become certified DIG in Schools TA Consultants. Building this cohort for tailored support can act as a pillar and bridge to schools’ garden sustainability, especially amid turnover and other emergent conditions.

• Develop a website sustainability plan. Generate an annual budget for maintaining the domain, hosting, and maintenance, and identify funding source(s) to cover that cost into future years.

Statewide Connections Arm

• Implement 1-2 Year 2 Learning Collaborative(s) for a new cohort of schools using the data-informed revisions made during Year 1 (based on participant feedback from the evaluation).

• Develop and implement a parallel Learning Collaborative specific to local garden TA providers and organizations, further growing the local DIG in Schools support network.

Year 3-5 activities can additionally expand DIG in Schools and intensify the sustainability of school garden programs. Activities may include: additional language translations of DIG in Schools resources beyond Spanish, based on communities’ expressed needs; a statewide effort to link interested schools with certified DIG in Schools TA Consultants in their area, including connecting via the web portal; inviting certified DIG in Schools TA Consultants across the state to instruct Learning Collaboratives; deeper integration of garden-to-cafeteria efforts; and the expansion of evaluation efforts to measure individual-level student outcomes for fruit and vegetable intake among in schools that participate in the DIG in Schools Cycle of Change.

If funding from this Grant is not available, we have set up the Statewide Integration Arm for continuity by prepaying the subsequent year of web portal services in Sept 2026 (see timeline), allowing time for sustainability planning and to ensure alternate funding for the website to remain accessible into the future. For example, sustainability pathways may be available through our University of Arizona affiliation and/or other grants. Regardless, the higher initial cost of developing, testing, launching, and revising the web portal will be reduced substantially after Year 1.

3. Identify the expected impact or result of the service or assistance.

After Year 1 of Scaling Arizona’s DIG in Schools Initiative, we anticipate greater statewide integration and connectivity of school garden programs. At the site level, gardens will be better integrated into schools’ everyday structures and activities. At the state and regional levels, the stronger community of support and new ability to evaluate garden progress across all participating schools will further enhance Farm to School sustainability. Our logic model below provides more detail.

Resources

Existing DIG in Schools materials

Grant funding

Staff time & expertise

Local partners

State partners

Existing school garden resources

Activities Outputs

Statewide Integration Arm

Statewide Connections Arm

DIG in Schools web portal with free resources, training & certification, peer support, & reporting system

Develop DIG in Schools web portal

Develop asynchronous training

Design & conduct outreach

Develop virtual Learning

Collaborative

Develop & collect resources

3-month Learning

Collaborative

100 certified DIG in Schools Specialists

Impact

Sustainable & resilient school garden programs that regularly incorporate behaviorally-focused nutrition & agricultural education, serve garden foods, and build local culture into activities (all part of DIG in Schools)

Outcomes

More statewide Farm to School integration (unified DIG in Schools initiative, a statewide reporting & evaluation system, a stronger sense of community across AZ)

Expanded use of DIG in Schools across Arizona

Increased school-school connection & peer support

More & better integrated school garden programs

4. Outline tools and methods planned for measuring results/outcomes and evaluating activities.

Developmental evaluation is designed to provide real-time feedback for continuous learning and program development.14 Summative evaluation assesses overall effectiveness in achieving goals and objectives.15 Utilization-focused evaluation prioritizes the use of findings.16 Guided by these three approaches, we have developed a Year 1 evaluation plan that includes data relevant for program improvement and outcomes measurement.

The Statewide Connections Arm will be evaluated first using a concurrent mixed methods design:

• Reach: The number of Learning Collaborative participants, number of students enrolled in the participating schools.

• Program Improvement & Outcomes: Quantitative data about participants’ experiences and outcomes from a Learning Collaborative questionnaire administered during the final session.

• Program Improvement & Outcomes: Qualitative data about participants’ experiences and outcomes from a 30-minute focus group, also administered during the final session.

• Outcomes: Statistical analysis of the pre-post DIG in Schools Tool ratings from schools that completed the Learning Collaborative to measure schools’ progress through the Cycle of Change.

Select DIG in Schools tool items will also help to monitor progress toward serving garden produce in lunchrooms (The Garden #18-19), connections to local and other garden support networks (Resources & Support #4-5), and connections between school garden/nutrition programs and local growers/the broader community (Culture & Community #1, 6, & 7).

The Statewide Integration Arm will be evaluated next, with a focus on reach metrics, web portal user experience, and garden program strengths and areas for improvement at baseline:

• Reach: The number of registered website users (schools/districts) from Feb – Sept 2026.

• Reach: The number of schools that complete the asynchronous training and certify as DIG in

Schools Specialists by Sept 2026.

• Program Improvement: Brief web portal user questionnaire.

• Assets & Needs: Descriptive analysis of pre DIG in Schools Tool ratings to gauge portal users’ garden strengths and areas for improvement before engaging in the Cycle of Change.

As ongoing Dig in Schools implementers, our team has already established easy-to-modify systems to collect, track, and analyze much of the evaluation data outlined above.

Results from both evaluation phases will be triangulated to better understand how school garden programs changed after the Year 1 service, including schools’ overall engagement with the DIG in Schools portal and Cycle of Change and garden improvements made after Learning Collaborative participation. We will also use this data to evaluate what aspects of the Learning Collaborative and web portal were most and least effective. Finally, the pre-post analysis of DIG in Schools Tool results will serve as a model for future, larger scale analyses of data collected via the web portal.

Findings will be shared with the Grantor to understand the impact of the Year 1 initiative and inform their future efforts to enhance Arizona Farm to School programs.

5. Outline how the proposed services/assistance plan and anticipated results can be shared to benefit the public and Arizona’s Farm to School/ECE community.

The comprehensive outreach campaign detailed above will promote both arms of the service project throughout the Year 1 implementation period. In addition, the project will promote the use of findings to strengthen the likelihood that the Grantor, the public, and Arizona’s Farm to School community will engage with results. All evaluation findings will be compiled into a Summary, Impact Report, and presentation and shared with the Grantor, our partners and participants, the public, and the Arizona Farm to School community. This includes:

• Design considerations. The end-year Summary will be created in as an easy-to-read, colorblind-friendly infographic available in English and Spanish to enhance accessibility. The longer Impact Report and associated presentation slides will also use accessible language (ex., avoid unnecessary jargon), easy-to-interpret graphics, and other design components to maximize readability across audiences with diverse literacy, numeracy, and visualcy levels.

• Required share-out activities. As noted in our timeline, we plan to share findings during the October 2026 public gathering. If acceptable to the Grantor, we will design our presentation to be interactive and/or include time for questions and answers.

• Additional share-out activities. We also plan to share the Summary, Impact Report, and presentation slides on the DIG in Schools web portal, our evaluation team website, social media channels (ex., LinkedIn), with project partners like the ADHS and Arizona Farm to School Network for potential web posting/dissemination, and via emails to our Year 1 school participants. It is especially important to us that the DIG in Schools initiative, once brought to scale, continues to be accessed by these audiences as well as promoted via word-of-mouth within the unique networks of our growing community. Other possible dissemination and promotion channels include future conference abstract presentations, school board association meetings, and/or Farm to School webinars.

Conclusion

We have designed Scaling Arizona’s DIG in Schools Initiative for Sustainable School Gardens as a one-year service project that has the potential to expand with continued funding in future years.

We have also built sustainability planning into our Year 1 timeline if future funding is unavailable.

Either way, a large part of DIG in Schools sustainability will be based on Year 1 success as it relates to participants’ perspectives, their enthusiasm for continued participation and peer sharing, garden program changes made by Learning Collaborative schools, and our nurturing the use of findings.

Based on past success and our teams’ expertise, we are confident that the project will succeed.

References

1. Burt KG, Koch PA, Uno C, and Contento IR. (2016) The GREEN Tool (Garden Resources, Education, and Environment Nexus) For Well-Integrated School Gardens. Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education & Policy at the Program in Nutrition, Teachers College, Columbia University. Research Brief.

2. USDA, Food and Nutrition Service. The USDA Farm to School Planning Toolkit. Available:

https://www.fns.usda.gov/f2s/planning-toolkit.

https://www.cdc.gov/health-literacy/php/research-summaries/numeracy.html https://evalblog.com/category/visualcy/ https://www.fns.usda.gov/f2s/planning-toolkit

3. USDA, Office of Community Food Systems. Farm to Child Nutrition Programs Planning Guide.

Available: https://scfarmtoschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/FTS-Planning- Guide.pdf.

4. Joshi A. Henderson T, Ratcliffe MM, Feenstra G. (2014) Evaluation for Transformation: A Cross-Sectoral Evaluation Framework for Farm to School. National Farm to School Network.

5. Joshi A, Misako A. (n.d.) Bearing Fruit: Farm to School Program Evaluation Resources and Recommendations. National Farm to School Network. Center for Food & Justice Urban & Environmental Policy Institute, Occidental College.

6. University of California, Davis, CalFresh. (n.d.) School Gardens Assessment Tool. Available:

https://uccalfresh.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk2286/files/inline-files/School%20Garden%20Assessment%20Tool_FOR%20PRINTING.pdf.

7. Garwood A, Wasserstrom P, Logan S, Steeves S. (2016) Portland School Garden Assessment.

Growing Gardens. Available:

https://02371465205024862346.googlegroups.com/attach/dabbb5aebc21d/SchoolGardenS urveyReportFinal.pdf?part=0.1&view=1&vt=ANaJVrHu4TRkLSQIXAAu4__TGYGYAXptuT79sat UpIWZl2fj9CR2p06BdsEW2JsQwY2x0z8uVmySNRnRlumrRaAk0wlykNYfL2VDHpXF- TkdzbOjVoF9H5w.

8. Minnesota Department of Health. (n.d.) Farm to School Assessment Tool. Available:

https://icma.org/documents/farm-school-assessment-tool.

9. Gardner Burt K, Koch PA; Contento IR. (2017) Development of the GREEN (Garden Resources, Education, and Environment Nexus) Tool: An Evidence-Based Model for School Garden Integration. J Acad Nutr Diet, 117:1517-1527.

10. Diaz JM, Warner LA, Webb ST. (2018) Outcome Framework for School Garden Program Development and Evaluation: A Delphi Approach. J of Agric Edn, 59(2): 143-165.

11. Knight AW, Tam CWM, Dennis S, Fraser J, Pond D. (2022) The role of quality improvement collaboratives in general practice: a qualitative systematic review. BMJ Open Qual. 2022 May;11(2):e001800. doi: 10.1136/bmjoq-2021-001800.

12. Joly BM, Booth M, Shaler G, Conway A. (2012) Quality Improvement Learning Collaboratives in Public Health: Findings from a Multisite Case Study. J Public Health Mngmt & Practice 18(1):87-94. Doi: 10.1097/PHH.0b013e3182367db1.

13. Ghandour RM, Flaherty K, Hirai A. et al. (2017) Applying Collaborative Learning and Quality Improvement to Public Health: Lessons from the Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Network (CoIIN) to Reduce Infant Mortality. Matern Child Health J 21: 1318–1326.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-016-2235-2.

14. Patton MQ. (2011) Developmental Evaluation: Applying Complexity Concepts to Enhance Innovation and Use. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

15. Alkin MC. (2013) Evaluation Roots: A Wider Perspective of Theorists’ Views and Influences.

Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

16. Patton MQ. (2022) Utilization-Focused Evaluation: Fifth Edition. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

https://scfarmtoschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/FTS-Planning-Guide.pdf https://scfarmtoschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/FTS-Planning-Guide.pdf https://uccalfresh.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk2286/files/inline-files/School%20Garden%20Assessment%20Tool_FOR%20PRINTING.pdf https://uccalfresh.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk2286/files/inline-files/School%20Garden%20Assessment%20Tool_FOR%20PRINTING.pdf https://02371465205024862346.googlegroups.com/attach/dabbb5aebc21d/SchoolGardenSurveyReportFinal.pdf?part=0.1&view=1&vt=ANaJVrHu4TRkLSQIXAAu4__TGYGYAXptuT79satUpIWZl2fj9CR2p06BdsEW2JsQwY2x0z8uVmySNRnRlumrRaAk0wlykNYfL2VDHpXF-TkdzbOjVoF9H5w https://02371465205024862346.googlegroups.com/attach/dabbb5aebc21d/SchoolGardenSurveyReportFinal.pdf?part=0.1&view=1&vt=ANaJVrHu4TRkLSQIXAAu4__TGYGYAXptuT79satUpIWZl2fj9CR2p06BdsEW2JsQwY2x0z8uVmySNRnRlumrRaAk0wlykNYfL2VDHpXF-TkdzbOjVoF9H5w https://02371465205024862346.googlegroups.com/attach/dabbb5aebc21d/SchoolGardenSurveyReportFinal.pdf?part=0.1&view=1&vt=ANaJVrHu4TRkLSQIXAAu4__TGYGYAXptuT79satUpIWZl2fj9CR2p06BdsEW2JsQwY2x0z8uVmySNRnRlumrRaAk0wlykNYfL2VDHpXF-TkdzbOjVoF9H5w https://02371465205024862346.googlegroups.com/attach/dabbb5aebc21d/SchoolGardenSurveyReportFinal.pdf?part=0.1&view=1&vt=ANaJVrHu4TRkLSQIXAAu4__TGYGYAXptuT79satUpIWZl2fj9CR2p06BdsEW2JsQwY2x0z8uVmySNRnRlumrRaAk0wlykNYfL2VDHpXF-TkdzbOjVoF9H5w https://icma.org/documents/farm-school-assessment-tool https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-016-2235-2

ATTACHMENT 4: II. EXPERIENCE AND CAPABILITY

6. Describe the applicant’s experience in designing and/or delivering effective evidence-based programming around your proposed service or assistance program.

The University of Arizona School of Nutritional Sciences and Wellness (SNSW) engages in research, education, and outreach to understand the complex interactions between food, environment and social determinants of health to promote wellness at every stage of life. Our SNSW team has over a decade of experience designing, implementing, and evaluating community-based public health programs across Arizona (e.g., SNAP-Ed), including Farm to School, Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE), and local food systems initiatives such as community and home gardens and farmers markets.

We specialize in statewide, community-engaged, utilization-focused evaluations across Arizona’s diverse communities to measure and enhance program effectiveness. Our team works closely with state and local implementing agencies at all stages of program development, from initial design through implementation and evaluation, to ensure data-driven decision-making and evidence-based outcomes. In addition, we have participated in numerous initiatives to strengthen statewide integration (examples below).

We regularly carry out activities directly aligned with the proposed service, Scaling Arizona’s DIG in Schools Initiative for Sustainable School Gardens:

• Website development & management. We developed and maintain our team’s evaluation-focused website (nutritioneval.arizona.edu), including site design, beta testing, launch, user portal management, and long-term upkeep.

• Statewide integration support. In the Childhood focus area, notable projects include:

completion of a 2017 statewide school health needs assessment for the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS); multi-year coordination of statewide AZ Health Zone Local Wellness Policy support with the Arizona Department of Education’s triennial administrative review process; supporting the ADHS 2020–22 Empower Plus 2.0 initiative, including outreach and recruitment of ECE providers statewide; and a 2024 Arizona ECE landscape analysis for the ADHS State Physical Activity and Nutrition Program, with actionable recommendations for improving statewide integration of ECE health and wellness programs.

• Virtual training, teaching, and course development. We often develop and implement statewide training systems for partner agencies to become certified in various evaluation activities.

Trainings and workshops include virtual synchronous, asynchronous, and in-person formats.

• DIG in Schools leadership. As detailed in the Narrative, we created and implemented the DIG in Schools initiative through the AZ Health Zone.

• Recruitment expertise. From 2020–22, we successfully recruited over 150 ECE providers to participate in Arizona’s statewide Go NAPSACC initiative, despite the pandemic. Our recruitment efforts consistently reach schools, ECE providers, and technical assistance providers statewide.

https://nutritioneval.arizona.edu/

• Project management. Our core practice includes managing multiple, complex projects from planning through sustainability—developing timelines, tracking systems, implementation protocols, and evaluation frameworks.

7. Describe the applicant’s experience and strategies in working effectively with the population your service or assistance intends to reach.

For over a decade, our team has supported schools across Arizona with SNAP-Ed programming and evaluation, with a strong emphasis on underserved schools (e.g., those with high free-and-reduced-price-lunch rates, community eligibility provisions, and low access to fresh produce).

We employ multiple strategies to work effectively with these partners:

• Direct engagement. We collaborate with school communities during needs assessments, pilots, and implementation of health-related improvement processes. Examples include:

piloting the Smarter Lunchrooms Scorecard with SNAP-Ed-eligible schools across the state, meeting with wellness committee members to support Local Wellness Policy improvements, interviewing school administrators and staff during evaluation projects, and developing DIG in Schools with school garden champions.

• Collaborative partnerships. We have partnered with state agencies (ADHS, ADE), Cooperative Extension, and county health departments to extend our reach and ensure statewide program integration.

• Network connections. Our involvement with the National and Arizona Farm to School Networks strengthens our ability to learn from and contribute to broader school garden initiatives.

8. Describe the qualifications, experience working with the proposed population, and previous experience with the types of services to be provided for each of the Key Personnel listed on Key Personnel Table of question 10. Applicant shall attach a resume for each of the key personnel proposed.

Laurel Jacobs, DrPH, MPH is a career evaluator operating at the intersection of community engagement, trauma-informed approaches, and cultural responsiveness. For ten years, Dr.

Jacobs has facilitated a team of Arizona-based public health evaluators, with expertise in quantitative and qualitative methodologies to amplify and respond to the complex interplay between personal, interpersonal, and community health. Dr. Jacobs has also worked to directly support underserved Arizona communities in program implementation, with a special focus on border and urban communities.

Theresa LeGros, MA brings over a decade of experience as a public health evaluator in Arizona, complemented by program management and coordination skills. She has worked in all Arizona counties, with emphasis on underserved schools, ECE settings, and rural areas. Ms. LeGros also has over 15 years of experience in curriculum development and adult education, applying andragogical principles to facilitate effective training.

Anvi Bhakta, MS has over five years of experience advancing community health in Arizona through equity-centered program implementation, research, and evaluation. Previously, she has worked in substance use prevention, specifically in utilizing harm reduction strategies to address the opioid overdose epidemic. Ms. Bhakta has engaged communities across nearly all Arizona counties, with a strong focus on direct community engagement.

See Other Attachments for resumes.

9. Describe two major accomplishments that demonstrate the Applicant’s effectiveness and capacity to provide services or assistance as described in the narrative.

Accomplishment 1 – ADHS Empower Plus 2.0 (2020–22). We successfully recruited 150 ECE providers statewide into the Go NAPSACC program and web portal—meeting targets despite the challenges of COVID-19. We also facilitated Empower Plus 2.0 Learning Collaboratives, which were highly effective in supporting ECE wellness improvements. This experience demonstrates both our recruitment capacity and our ability to adapt during crises—and they inspired our vision for scaling DIG in Schools.

Accomplishment 2 – Development of DIG in Schools for AZ Health Zone. We led a rigorous process involving literature review, tool development, community engagement, piloting, and statewide rollout to develop DIG in Schools. The initiative now provides a structured, evidence-based framework for school garden development and evaluation. Our ability to conceptualize, pilot, refine, and implement this initiative statewide demonstrates our proven capacity to replicate and scale similar projects for long-term sustainability.

10. List all key personnel by name, position and/or title, responsibilities and percent of time to be assigned to this Grant. Key personnel is defined as staff involved in the planning, administration, operation, or monitoring of this Grant.

Key Personnel Table

Full Name Position/Title Responsibilities % Time Assigned to Grant

Laurel Jacobs Research Assistant Professor

As Principal Investigator, ensure project administrative and programmatic integrity, including liaising between internal and extramural (sponsor) stakeholders. Provide oversight for the project deliverables.

5%

Theresa LeGros Program Evaluation & Strategy Lead / Research Manager

As Co-Investigator, serve as the project lead, overseeing all day-to-day activities and operations, and coordinating the completion of all deliverables. Lead web portal development & launch, Learning Collaborative development & instruction, and evaluation components.

50% https://gonapsacc.org/

Anvi Bhakta AZ SNAP-Ed Food Systems & Active Living Evaluator / Researcher

Provide key support for DIG in Schools resource collection & translation; coordinate recruitment, outreach, & participant stipends/incentives; and perform select evaluation duties (focus group, report contribution).

25%

ATTACHMENT 5: III. PROPOSED COSTS AND BUDGET

11. Provide a detailed budget narrative that describes how category costs are derived and justifies the proposed costs over the period of performance for the grant.

Our budget minimizes our own team’s supply, travel, and administrative costs to maximize the amount of funding that serves the target population. Funding that directly reaches the target population includes the Learning Collaborative stipends ($7,500) and garden-related e-gift cards for schools ($5,000). The web portal ($48,000), translation ($2,000), and most printing ($300) are also intended to directly support schools. In terms of personnel costs, the Co-Investigator, Theresa LeGros, will be dedicating approximately 90% of her time to direct support activities (ex., designing and instructing the Learning Collaborative, leading web portal development), so a substantial portion of her salary (~$36,000 + $11,520 fringe) will directly support schools.

The Coordinator position is designed with 95% of time (~$14,967 + $4,790 fringe) dedicated to direct support activities (ex., recruiting schools, distributing stipends, ongoing communication with portal users). The Principal Investigator will be focused on grant administration and oversight rather than direct activities.

Therefore, we anticipate that approximately $130,077 of the requested Direct Costs—or approximately 90%- -will directly support schools garden programs.

Personnel and fringe costs reflect the anticipated need for a total of 0.80 FTE to complete the activities outlined in the Narrative and distributed among a Principal Investigator, Co-Investigator, and Coordinator.

The Personnel budget has been calculated as a proportion of each of the three staff members’ current salaries, and fringe benefit calculations follow the University of Arizona’s 32% of salary for full-time employees' Employee-Related Expense rate.

• Dr. Jacobs, Principal Investigator (5% FTE) will ensure the administrative and programmatic integrity of the project, including liaising between internal and extramural (sponsor) stakeholders. She will also provide ongoing oversight for the project’s deliverables.

• Ms. LeGros, Co-Investigator (50%) will serve as the project lead, overseeing all day-to-day activities and operations, and coordinating the completion of all deliverables. This role includes coordinating the website and leading the learning collaborative.

• Ms. Bhakta, Coordinator (25% FTE) will coordinate DIG in Schools resource collection & translation;

coordinate recruitment, outreach, & participant stipends/incentives; and support project evaluation duties.

• Fringe…