Valor Academy Elementary School

I work for an amazing charter school called Valor Academy. We are a new school only being in our 2nd year of operation, and this is the very first year of our garden program. We have 5 raised key hole garden beds and a few other raised beds scattered throughout our campus. Our campus primarily services Latino students in a majority of economically under served areas. Our campus currently serves TK-2nd grade and will be adding a new grade every year as we grow. I currently teach gardening and cooking and would love to create a bridge between the two. I recently had the pleasure of visiting an Edible School Yard campus at Larchmont and saw the potential of what we can become with the right training and resources. The communitiers that our students live in don't have many healthy choices to eat and I strongly believe that through education and exploration in the garden that our students will naturally and organically begin to graviatate towards making healthier choices in diet. Our garden will provide an opportunity for our students to try various types of vegetables or receipes. Farm to table education is a very important concept that I would like to teach our students. We hope to build a program that can include parents as well, during harvest and initial sowing and allow them to develop a sense of ownership. A majority of our students qualify for free or reduced lunch. We are striving to create a Green Campus and the garden is a cornerstone of this vision. Composting and recycling are also very important things that we have been introducing to our students. I hope to have the oppurtunity to expand my knowledge and grow along with our students this year by attending this wonderful training.