Garden Classrooms

Green Initiative club, Westwood Community High School

Westwood High School has a trend of unhealthy eating practices, with most students making unhealthy food choices. This is causing a rise in the number of cases of obesity within the student population. This is the first attempt at establishing a greenhouse at Westwood High School. The complication of our geographic location is the cold climate that dominates most of our school year.

Westside Village Magnet School

Our goal is to expand and refurbish our existing 12 year old garden. With the help of many stakeholders, we raised funds and built the garden of our dreams. The garden is an outdoor classroom, and the key to integrating our health and wellness vision. Students grow vegetables that they cook in our classroom kitchen. They bake pizza and bread in the oven. They pick flowers and create bouquets to decorate the school for events.

Center City - Trinidad Campus PCS

The Center City Trinidad garden has many goals: 1- To increase student understanding and respect for the natural world. 2- To bring science, math, social studies, language and visual arts to life through hands-on learning. 3- Nurture a feeling of community among teachers, students, parents, and community members. 4-Foster a sense of responsibility and teamwork. 5- Teach about nutrition and healthy choices.

Washington Elementary School

The goal of our garden is to build awareness of the benefits of healthy lifestyles. Next year with the reintroduction of core standards into the curriculum there are so many possibilities to incorporate the garden with lesson plans. With our school being over 50% low income, many students don't have the access to information on healthy living and nutritious homegrown foods. Without the access to large yards where they live they have no chance to grow their own gardens. This garden will be the center focus of our school so it wont be left to be forgotten in forthcoming years.

Wesleyan Kiddie Kollege

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has adult obesity in Warren County at 30.7% and for children in the Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) program obesity is 19.5%. Parents and community partners are asking for new ways to combat this epidemic. Support has emerged from our community wanting to undertake school garden programs. A trial garden with the Warren County Health Department was developed with Wesleyan Kiddie Kollege this fall. It created excitement and requests to fully implement a garden program.

Elm Street School

Our vision is for families, schools, and the Walpole Community to work collaboratively towards the shared goal of fit and healthy children. Students will have a hands-on learning experience in the school garden and will eat fresh, healthy foods.

Vida Charter School

The school garden at Vida Charter School is a place for bringing together all the pieces of our school's Healthy Lifestyle curriculum--physical activity, healthy food, global awareness, character education and safety. Through working in the garden, students learn about how to grow food, how to be responsible and work together and how to care for the environment. Through preparing and eating the food, children learn about the connection of the earth to our sustanence.

Ventura High School

The goal for this project at Ventura High School is to provide an outdoor learning space for all students. The space will be separated into four distinct areas. The first one will be an open space with picnic tables for an entire class to use during a class period. Next to this classroom space, there will be a demonstration area where students will be able to create structures out of sand.

Van Buren Elementary

The goal for our garden is to use it as a learning experience for students in our elementary school and high school as well as an opportunity for community members to work side-by-side with our students and staff. Students will directly observe the life cycle of plants from seed to vegetable. Planting would take place in late fall and early spring, when school is in session. Raised beds provide a healthier environment for beneficial microorganisms and earthworms because there's no foot traffic to compact the soil.

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