Carthage Elementary

Our goal is to utilize the garden to provide education and hands-on experience to the kindergarten through 4th grade students who attend this elementary school. This school is located in a village and of the 90 students attending the school, over half currently qualify for free or reduced lunches. We want to involve the students and the community together for the children to learn about raising healthy foods and how the concept of "Healthy Bodies=Healthy Minds". We believe this garden can make a huge impact on how the students and their families view the importance of healthy, fresh foods as well as the joy of planting and raising their own vegetables. National statistics show that of the children in Indiana, almost 31% of them are obese or overweight. Without a change in their diet and eating habits, as these children grow into adulthood, their health and well-being may deteriorate. With our project the children will be involved in every aspect of the garden from planting to harvesting, but they will also learn the importance of the foods and recipes for their families to bring these foods into healthy and tasty dishes. The children will experience the joy of planting and watching the growing of their seeds and plants and nurturing the garden and then harvesting and preparing and eating their foods. This project is designed to bring excitement and enthusiasm to the children, their families and the entire community about growing a sustainable garden.
This grant would provide the necessary tools to launch the garden project successfully. This grant would provide the important basic tools and educational materials which will be incorporated into all of the classrooms.