Northeast Elementary Garden Project

 Educational institutions can encourage the overall health and well-being of staff, families and community members, as well as the health of students. By creating schools that promote health and environmental education programs, a larger population of youth will be exposed to the fundamentals of healthy living. Across the nation, school gardens are being implemented as an effective means of enhancing schools’ nutrition programs and as a way to educate the students about agriculture and food systems (U.S. Department of Agriculture 2011). Learning to live sustainably lies in education that returns to the basics: engaging with the natural world; understanding how nature sustains life; nurturing healthy communities; exploring the consequences of how we feed and provision ourselves (Center for Ecoliteracy, 2004).
There is a history behind the school garden concept- by beginning our own project, we are continuing to promote a method of teaching that incorporates many long-held values such as hard work, discipline and cooperation. Additionally, we will also be promoting an education that fosters an awareness of agriculture, nutrition and community.
The ideas in this plan challenge us to instill a powerful message about our people and our culture in Danville. The opportunities for the garden to become a model of cultural expression and sustainable living are infinite. A school garden will represent potential in under-utilized land by showcasing the creativity, productivity, and diversity of Danville students. Ideally, the garden will become a living, working representation of the importance of healthy living practices that grows with the people who tend it.

Vision
The “greening” of schoolyards through gardens is taking root across the United States by highlighting the potential of garden-based learning in the promotion of healthy youth development. School gardens act as outdoor “learning laboratories”, as aesthetically pleasing spaces for play, and as places to promote the consumption of fresh produce among a youth population with elevated rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes (Hedley et al., 2004).
In creating a school garden, our primary goal is to stimulate youth. The diverse school community will benefit from the garden by investing in the environmental health of the area, while creating a timeless space that draws inspiration from traditions relied heavily upon connections to nature. This garden will cultivate the relationship between students and the environment by evoking cultural memories. The benefits of sustainable living and the idea that community gardening has the power to transform the individual lives of the people who engage in it, is the main driving force behind this project.
Gardens grow much more than just fruits and vegetables; they unite people by developing a reason to work with, and learn from, each other, reminding us of all we have in common and helping us grow stronger, more connected communities (Obama, 2012). Our garden will be a hands-on learning garden, where students can interact with all aspects of garden habitat. Through discussion, students will learn how growing food and eating well has been an integral part of American history.