Basalt Elementary School

Our ongoing goal is educating the students of Basalt Elementary, as well as the community, about the health benefits of fresh, local produce, as well as how to utilize this resource in the kitchen. We strive for engagement on three levels:

--In the classroom: Moving forward, we will utilize the garden by developing and using standardized monthly lessons involving gardening, nutrition, and food preparation for each grade. Ideally, we will seek to join our efforts with the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, which already touches all of Basalt Elementary's students every week.

--In the community: Our Garden Harvest Party, held this past fall, raised the garden's profile in the community; gave something back to stakeholders, as we allowed participating families to take home items they harvested; and raised money for the program by soliciting donations from participants. We hope to hold three similar events next year.

--In the garden: Our current after-school program is tuition-based. Students help in the garden (e.g., planting, weeding, harvesting,etc.). Students spend time in the kitchen using fresh produce to create meals. We'd like to standardize this program, as well as create a curriculum for subsequent use.

This program is supported by .