Shadyside Academy Middle School

Our goal ultimately is to educate both our students and community about a lost art. During the 1930s, schools around the country cultivated small garden plots and gardening was seen as a civic duty. It would be fair to say that this has become a lost art. We want to preserve this practice and knowledge and make sure it gets passed down to the younger generation. We want a complete sensory experience for our students. Watch Broccoli, Carrots, Kale, Potatoes, and Amaranth (i.e. food) grow from from seed, smell fresh crisp basil, and touch dark, rich, and complex soil. Specifically, this grant will help us bring a water source (rain barrels) to our garden and provide year round growing opportunities (cold frames). This grant will eventually help our volunteers and students grow healthy, well-tended plants and to grow them year round. In the end, we hope this will mean that our students will grow up seeing food in a different way and find a way to pass this gift on to their children.