Middle School

Eastern Greenbrier Middle School

The overarching goal of our gardening program is to help our students internalize nutrition and healthy eating habits by teaching them about growing fruits, vegetables, and herbs. When students watch their food grow from seed they grow curious and are more likely to try what they have grown. By learning more about fresh fruits and vegetables it is our hope that students will internalize wellness and build an awareness about how what they eat affects their body's ability to function. In order to do so, we have set up several smaller goals.

David Kejick School

The goal of our garden project is to revitalize the old community garden and make it vibrant and productive again. Because of the size of the garden and the clay-based ground it sits on, we would like to build garden beds to house the plants. This would provide a better source of nutrients and a nicer base for the plants. As well, it would make it much easier to weed, as the existing garden is huge. We have quite a few community members that are interested in gardening, and many of them volunteer their time during the summer to help with the care and the upkeep of the garden.

Charles F. Patton Middle School - The Patton Project Gardens

The goal of our garden project is to make a difference in the lives of our students, their families, and the community. We had hoped to provide a level playing field for all of the students in our school where all children, regardless of academic ability, social status, and ethnic background are equal and plan to do this for years to come. We will be continuing to grow fresh produce for those in need while introducing and expanding our students understanding of nutrition and healthy eating habits.

Brookfield Schools

Our goal is to improve physical and emotional health in the children at For KEEPS by: increasing awareness about healthy foods; reducing body weights and improving (Body Mass Indices (BMIs); improving social skills such as waiting one's turn; listening to directions; being safe; communicating with peers; and having appropriate fun. Parents are encouraged to serve fruits and vegetables brought home by the children from the For KEEPS garden. We duplicate planting/growing at home by providing starter kits (pots, dirt, seeds).

Beth Ramacher Educational Complex

The goal of our school garden is to expose our students to new adventures and new experiences. Our students have severe disabilities and some of the students are medically fragile. They do not get to experience gardens; for some they do not get to experience real fruits and vegetables. This grant will allow us to present new and exciting opportunities for our students. When they are outside our students are smiling and enjoying themselves soaking up the sun. The students love getting their hands dirty and watching the plants grow big and strong.

Beacon Hill Community School

The goal of our garden is to be able to create a fun educational environment that will allow our students to learn a skill that can be utilized during their time at Beacon Hill as well as long after they have left our school. Being that 90% of our students are Amish or strict Mennonite, we know that most of our students will work within the community that they currently live in. Most of our students will also work in trade careers such as carpentry, agriculture, or restaurant type positions.

Bailey Middle School

The goal of this grant is to create a beautiful, safe, and interesting place where students like to be and can gather. This space will be used for hosting community events, such as an annual Earth Day celebration and it will promote awareness of plants, growing food, nature and the environment. Education is supported by integrating school curricula with hands-on activities in the garden.

Austin Montessori School

Austin Montessori Gaines Creek Farm is a micro-economy and the garden is an integral part of our community and can be found throughout our curriculum. We have worms, chickens, and a thriving garden. We participate in farmers markets, making our fresh produce available to school families, and people struggling to eat healthily in food-deserts.

Receiving this grant will make it possible for us to install a several thousand gallon water tank, to collect water from all over the campus.

Westerly High School/Tower Street School Community Center

The goal of our garden is to provide a place for learning, physical activity, and connecting to the land, to enhance the interactive/exploratory outdoor classroom shared by the community all year round, and to build a haven for delicious food that is as healthy for us as it is for the land. This grant would make it possible to purchase a greenhouse at the garden, which will extend the gardening season. This will increase learning opportunities during the school year and give us the ability to start seedlings, and serve more vegetables throughout the year.

Talman Elementary School

Talman's community members want to grow things that we need in order to provide fresh vegetables and fruits to the school community. While we realize that process may be time-consuming and take a lot of planning, we are excited for the chance to become more self-sustainable by using our land to grow food. We realize that our school community struggles to rely on grocery stores that are scarce in our neighborhood, while we have unused soil that would be perfect for growing fruits and vegetables.

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