Save Berkeley School Gardens with the 2026 Soda Tax

Over 11,000 Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) students rely on garden-based learning programs that develop critical thinking, boost science achievement, and promote healthy eating. With a 30-50% funding cut looming, we propose a 2-cent-per-ounce dedicated soda tax to keep our BUSD gardens alive. We need 5,000 signatures before May 15th, 2026. Every signature matters!

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Students and volunteers in a Berkeley school garden

Students harvesting and learning in the garden

School garden learning activity in Berkeley

After-school garden program at a Berkeley campus

Class activity in the garden with raised beds

Outdoor class session in a Berkeley school garden

Students and volunteers preparing spring garden beds

Garden classroom moment with Berkeley students

School garden community action day in Berkeley

Touch the soil, grow real food, and discover the rhythms of life.

Action Map & Schedule

Find volunteer signature-collecting locations and times across Berkeley. Locations on the interactive map are approximate.

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Learn About Our Local Movement (Expand)

Campaign Timeline & Berkeley Community Action

April 11 – May 15, 2026: Signature collection campaign across Berkeley (target: 5,000 signatures)
Tuesday Farmer's Market (Ecology Center): Weekly volunteer training and signature collection headquarters
BART Stations: Morning and evening commute outreach to Berkeley voters
Berkeley High School: Student and parent outreach for school garden awareness
Community Health Organizations: Partnerships with Healthy Black Families, Lifelong Medical Center, YMCA East Bay, and Multicultural Institute

Berkeley's Proven Success: 10+ Years of Soda Tax Impact

$5.7 Million Invested: Supporting 18 school gardens in Berkeley Unified School District over the past decade
11,000+ Students Served: Garden-based learning programs boost science achievement, develop critical thinking, and increase fruit & vegetable consumption
52% Reduction in Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption: Among Berkeley's low-income residents (peer-reviewed study, American Journal of Public Health, 2019)
29% Increase in Water Consumption: Direct result of public health messaging and hydration station infrastructure
16 Public Hydration Stations: Added across Berkeley for equitable water access
Community Health Programs: Soda Tax funding supports dental screenings, nutrition education, and health equity initiatives

Organizations Strengthened by Berkeley's Soda Tax

BUSD Gardening & Cooking Program: Garden-based education in 18 schools
Healthy Black Families – Thirsty for Change: Nutrition advocacy and healing-centered community programs
YMCA East Bay Early Childhood Impact Program: Serves 1,200+ low-income children; funded Aguacate Music Kids' "Healthy Me – Saludable Soy" musical enrichment program now in all BUSD TK classrooms
Lifelong Medical Center: Heart 2 Heart and oral health programs serving marginalized communities
Multicultural Institute: After-school mentoring and community health outreach
Ecology Center: Youth internships in sustainability and food justice leadership at Berkeley High School

A Model for the Nation

Berkeley's 2014 soda tax initiative has inspired 7 additional cities to adopt similar measures: San Francisco, Oakland, Albany, Boulder, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Santa Cruz. This grassroots movement demonstrates that communities can prioritize public health over corporate profits.

Why 2026 Matters: Declining tax revenues threaten the very programs that made Berkeley's soda tax a national success story. The 2026 initiative doubles funding to protect school gardens from 30-50% budget cuts and strengthens community health programs when federal support is declining.