Clad in their brand new Mighty Bears T-Shirts, students at Johnston Elementary got to hold a dedication for their new community garden. Set up behind the playground, the space will be used for each grade level to plan, plant, and harvest delicious fresh vegetables; learn about science, agriculture, and hard work; and try new fresh foods.
Principal Angie Trantham says many hands came together to revitalize the space for the students. The Kiwanis Club of Asheville helped clear out the space, the BCS Foundation connected them with grants, and the FFA (Future Farmers of America) department of Erwin High and the FEAST Foundation (a national nonprofit dedicated to access to healthy foods) also stepped in to help. Ms. Trantham also thanked the BCS Maintenance Department, the new Johnston Elementary Gardening Club, and former BCS Board Member Pat Bryant for helping acquire the matching school pride T-shirts.
“Research promotes the use of less institutionalized spaces and more natural indoor and outdoor environments for learning,” said Ms. Trantham. “Not all families have the space and experience to grow fruits, vegetables, or flowers at home, and this provides an enriching opportunity to connect our students to nature. They will have the opportunity to utilize the scientific process and the collaborative skills they are developing in STEM to work together and document their observations.”
Find more photographs from the dedication on our facebook post here