In an effort to increase health awareness, I decided to grow a garden filled with healthy edible food choices at my elementary school. We grew the garden on Global Youth Service Day and we coordinated to include all students, from our youngest kindergartners to our seasoned fifth graders. On April 26, we put together planters, poured soil, sprinkled fertilizer, and planted seeds. Our garden consisted of three planters filled with vegetables such as lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, and beans. Two planters were filled with seeds to grow herbs such as cilantro, basil, rosemary, and oregano. It was so much fun learning how to plan to fund the garden and what was needed to put it together.
The best part of the day was making new friends in my school. We were able to help our youngest students learn the importance of each vegetable and how important it is to grow your own garden and be able to build your salads from the harvest.
Our vegetable and herb garden would also serve another purpose, to donate the harvest to the Community Food and Outreach Center of Central Florida which provides food to families who live in homeless shelters and motels. We are so happy that we will be able to learn how to grow our own garden, but we are also excited to be able to give back to our community by providing healthy food to those students that have very little.
If you don’t already have a garden at your school, please find supportive adults to help you plan and fund a school garden. It is so much fun to plan such a great outdoor project at your school. This is great way to increase physical activity, learn the importance of eating healthy, and give back to your community.
Bobby S.
Student
West Creek Elementary
Leave a Reply