Colonial Hills Elementary School will expand its 14-bed community garden in a non-traditional direction that will offer lessons in “urban farming”, courtesy of a $1,500 grant from a state agency.
“Rather than expanding the community garden out across real estate, it will expand up,” said Terri Pitts, the Colonial Hills P.E. teacher who submitted the grant proposal to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Last spring, the state agency sought proposals for its Awards for Excellence in Texas School Health Discovery Award. Pitts submitted a proposal for a project initially suggested by the student members of the Garden/Kids School Advisory Council. Pitts said that advisory council members told her that their classmates lamented not having the space to create traditional gardens because they lived in apartments. Pitts said that this observation led to the “Lessons Grow in Vertical Gardens” project designed to encourage “urban farming.”
“Students who live in apartments will discover how to garden food vertically when there is not enough space for a more traditional garden,” Pitts said. “Students and their families will be able to apply these vertical garden examples and lessons at their own homes.”
The state agency will pay Pitts’ expenses to attend the Texas Action for Healthy Kids Summit in Houston where the award will be presented. The $1,500 grant will fund the purchase of plants, soil, mulch and pyramid-shaped tiered bedding on which 143 gallons of soil will provide the bedding for 76 plants.
“This configuration will allow us to grow about eight times more plants per square foot than a traditional garden,” Pitts said.
The $1,500 grant is one in a series of grants awarded to Colonial Hills to grow its community garden. Last year, a $15,000 grant from Verizon added a 5,000-gallon cistern and a roof-top water collection system. Plus, a solar pump was attached to a downspout to feed the drip irrigation system.
The creation of the garden in 2014 and its continuing success contributed to the “Gold Status for the Alliance of a Healthier Generation” national recognition awarded by the Centers for Disease Control last spring. While planting and harvesting, students apply lessons in math, plant science, ecology, water conservation and engineering. However, a more healthful and beneficial by-product of the garden is that students are now trying fruits and vegetables they typically would avoid.
Students are now eating more vegetables and fruits since they know where and how they are grown, Pitts said. Cafeteria cooks create dishes from fall and spring harvests for garden-to-cafeteria samplings for students to taste what they have grown.
Educators in the North East Independent School District seeking grants can access a mini-base created and updated by the Government Relations and Grants Department. The mini base lists grant opportunities by subject. Employees must be signed-in to the district system for full access to the mini base and grant-writing resources.
It is advisable that educators watch a seven-minute video posted under the “Grant Training and Writing” tab before starting a grant application.
