This program gives fourth grade children the opportunity to grow a garden. The 27-week program allows children to experience the cycle of cultivating, growing and harvesting an organic garden. Seeds are planted in a greenhouse, seedlings are transferred to a garden plot and children tend the garden throughout the growing season.
Participating students from area schools are taken to Pilcher Park one day a week. The gardening sessions last 40 minutes, and the children are then allowed to play in the woods. A naturalist engages them as a play partner, facilitating activities and keeping them safe.
The program is designed to give children an appreciation for nature and encourage them in healthy eating habits. It is hard to resist eating a vegetable you have grown yourself!
Participating schools to date have included:
- A.O. Marshall
- Parks Academy
- T.E. Culbertson
- Woodland
- Keith
- Sanchez