In the garden, we grow more than fruits, flowers and vegetables; we grow bodies, minds, and spirits!
– Kaitlin Doherty, Mill Road Garden Teacher
This past May, the AFF approved a three year grant to the Garden Club, specifically for garden supplies and educational programs that are hosted at the Mill Road Community Garden. The garden serves as an outdoor classroom for students in the elementary school. Students learn everything from seasonal eating, to plant life cycles, to seed saving, to composting. The garden has been used by many different ages groups, and for activities such as after-school garden club, flex classes, science classes, and engineering design classes. The Garden Club has also started programming to transform the space into a tranquil place for mindfulness and meditation, specifically to help students with social-emotional issues.
We’re so excited to be a part of this program. This grant was one of six we’ve funded so far in 2018, as part of our 25 Grant Initiative. Amy Parrella and the Mill Road Garden Committee sent us this wonderful picture of a hand-painted thank you note that students helped create! How beautiful!