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News Release
For Immediate Release

Hawthorne Elementary School to Break Ground on First Garden With Earth Day Health Fair

 

 

Boise, ID - 03/20/2014 - Hawthorne Elementary is excited to break ground on their first ever vegetable garden and celebrate their new permanent picnic shelter on site at 2401 W. Targee Boise, ID 83705 on Earth Day, Tuesday April 22, 2014 from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Hawthorne Elementary School received significant grant monies to do so, from the City of Boise Neighborhood Reinvestment Grant Fund, Boise Urban Garden School, and Whole Foods Boise and the Whole Kids Foundation.

 

"A garden is a wonderful tool for advancing science and health curriculum in schools. Studies have shown that students that participate in science and health based garden activities score higher on science tests, and willingly incorporate healthier foods into their diets," says Erin Guerricabeitia, Executive Director of the Boise Urban Garden School (BUGS). "A student that is able to dig in the soil, plant a seed, and watch it grow will discover that they are excited to eat the fruits of their labor, and that they understand the science behind a sprouting seed or photosynthesis." 

 

Last year, Hawthorne's PTO President and School Garden Coordinator Amy Pence-Brown applied for, and received, a training grant for school garden teams and teachers, from BUGS, as well as a start-up grant in the amount of $2,000 from Whole Food's Whole Kids Foundation. The monies are being spent buying garden tools, seeds, and filling their 8 raised garden beds with compost and top soil. The wooden garden beds were generously built and donated by Boise's Whole Foods store employees and volunteers. The Vista Neighborhood Association applied for and received grant monies from the City of Boise Neighborhood Reinvestment Grant for a permanent outdoor shelter at Hawthorne Elementary.

 

The public is invited to join Hawthorne Elementary School for our garden/picnic shelter grand opening celebration at our Earth Day Health Fair on Tuesday April 22, 2014, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the school. The family-friendly event is free and will feature fun educational experiences from local organizations and our very own classrooms, including: backyard chickens, worm composting, seed planting, art projects, a unique recycled community mural, healthy snacks, and local honeybees. Over 25 interactive booths, inside and outside the school, will include:


Treasure Valley YMCA, Whole Foods, Treasure Valley Beekeepers, Boise Urban Garden School, MK Nature Center, Boise Parks & Rec, Vista Neighborhood Association and more.

 

"Hawthorne Elementary is the perfect place for an urban/school garden," says Beverly Boyd, Principal, Hawthorne Elementary. "Building this garden and permanent community shelter will bring together our students, parents and community members by providing projects that beautify the school and teaches us about our food sources and our environment."

 

For more information, call PTO President and School Garden Coordinator Amy Pence-Brown at 343-1019 or [email protected].