Transform Your School's Garden with a Grant

We will be updating our existing garden. I will be teaching the importance of sustainability, focusing on native plants and drip irrigation. The students will also learn the vital role pollinators have in creating  a fruitful garden

This Garden will serve as an educational space for our PK-5th graders. Our counselors will also use the garden as "dirt therapy" for students who struggle with mental health.

  Students engage directly with the natural world, observe plant

growth, and understand the role of pollinators like bees and butterflies. We will promote environmental stewardship, encourage curiosity about the sciences, and provide students with a sense of responsibility towards their environment.

Studies have shown that children involved in hands-on gardening are more likely to eat more fruits and vegetables. Students will also be engaged in more physical activity

through their participation, which leads to a healthier lifestyle.

We are adding a composting area to our existing garden. We want to educate the students about the decomposition process and the benefits of recycling organic waste. To involve students, parents, and local organizations in the composting process. Fostering a sense of community and shared responsibility for sustainability.

We will be teaching about the plant life cycle. Seeds will be started in a hydroponic systems throughout our school library. Once the roots are established, plants will be moved to raised beds in our courtyard.  We have also begun a seed library for students and parents to use.

Our indoor and outdoor growing areas will help our students learn best practices for growing in our local climate. It will encourage plant interaction and an appreciation for nature. The gardens will also support the curriculum in math, science, social studies and language arts.  We are excited to make this a permanent and dynamic part of the Stiles Community.

We have a very active student body. We have a culinary club, which is anxious to start gardening, as well as a group dedicated to the environment. It is very important to them that we repurpose and reuse materials, as well as grow sustainably. We are also fortunate to have a 3D printer in our library. Students will print and test out small net cups that “click” together so we don’t damage the roots during transplant.