Mooberry R.A.I.N. Garden (Realizing Academics In Nature)

The Mooberry RAIN Garden is designed to foster extended learning opportunities, inspire confidence in new skills, bridge cultural differences, and create community connections and partnerships.

     87% of Mooberry students live below the poverty level.

Which means that many of our students:

~     live in apartments, without backyards or safe open spaces for outdoor play

~     experience hunger and/or food insecurity

~     receive less exposure to nature and art than their middle/upper-class peers

~     have limited access to extracurricular educational enrichment programs

Because of the Mooberry RAIN Garden, these children now benefit from:

~     An Outdoor Classroom where students learn math, writing, language, art, and science. In this setting, students become mathematicians, writers, linguists, artists and scientists.

~     Environmental Awareness through composting, organic practices, rainwater collection, vermicomposting (worm bins), and learning the benefits of native insects and plants.

~     Fresh, Organic Produce that supplements the cafeteria salad bar. Additionally, families who sign up to adopt the garden in the summer can take home produce to feed their families.

~     Special Assignments for specific students to be garden caretakers in an effort to foster feelings of confidence, ownership in the garden, and desire to make a difference in the world.

~     Creating Art side-by-side with an artist-in-residence to create a 35-ft-long painted mural, using students’ original drawings. Additional art projects include birdhouses, stepping stones, and other garden art.