Urban Garden Montessori

The goal of our garden program is to provide healthy food for our lunch program, and connect our students and school community to their food. In 2011, 30% of Arkansas children were considered overweight or obese, and our state had the third highest obesity rate in the nation. We believe that by connecting children to their food, we are taking an important step to improving those numbers. We are excited for our students to understand where their food comes from, make healthy food choices, love growing and eating healthy food, get their hands dirty and feel a sense of responsibility for their environment. Initially, the supplies and labor it took to create our garden were all donated by generous local businesses and individuals. This grant would allow us to sustain the garden for the next year, purchase needed tools, create a tools storage area (currently sharing small space with playground equipment storage), and further educate our community about growing healthy delicious food.