Greenhouse and Garden to Table
Mission of the project and the desired outcome:
As all Colorado gardeners know, our growing season can be disappointingly short and is largely outside of the regular school year. Our Growing Dome serves as a year-round growing and learning center for our students. Our greenhouse and garden enable students to learn how to grow their own food, supplement their salad bar throughout the school year, learn about nutrition, sell plants and produce at school and at the Farmers' Market for continued program funding, and provide an excellent hands-on learning center for science, math, and language arts.
With over 70% Latino and low-income students, statistics place many of Columbine Elementary’s students at greater risk of developing diabetes and other negative health conditions that can often be prevented through adopting routines of healthy food choices and exercise.
Our hope is that through a fun, hands-on Garden & Greenhouse to Table Program, students will learn to grow, prepare, and enjoy healthy foods and the wellness, satisfaction and other benefits that gardening and healthy eating can bring. Additionally, studies show that healthy foods and proper exercise benefit students by better preparing them for learning and concentration, increasing academic performance. Our school is already part of BVSD’s Healthy School Lunch Program, and we believe that our Greenhouse & Garden to Table Program is an excellent addition to this program, greatly benefiting our students’ health and learning potential.
Impact this project will have on people’s lives and the environment:
Due to obesity-related disease, this is the first generation of children predicted to have a lower life expectancy than their parents. Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions. One-third of American children are overweight or obese.
Overweight children are more likely to have asthma, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, social stigmatization, and other health problems. According to current estimates, one-third of all children born today – and one-half of Latino and black children – will develop type 2 diabetes in their lifetime. As mentioned previously, with over 70% Latino children at Columbine, statistics place our school’s children disproportionately at risk.
Data suggest that obese children and adolescents miss more school days than their normal-weight peers regardless of age, ethnicity, sex, and school attended. Overweight or obese children and adolescents in every grade experience poorer academic outcomes than their normal-weight peers.
Although Boulder County is a very fit and healthy community in general, childhood overweight and obesity have become problems in recent years, with 18.8% obesity or overweight rates (2008-10). Food, nutrition and healthy lifestyles is now integrated into BVSD curriculum primarily with the new Integrated Health Standards.
The Greenhouse & Garden to Table Program enables our school’s teachers and educators from Growing Gardens and our after-school classes to teach gardening, healthy eating and food education to the standards in an engaging way. We believe this will greatly benefit our student population and translate to healthier, more successful students.
The Growing Dome greenhouse also provides an excellent “outdoor classroom” that teachers can use to teach many subjects, including protection of the environment – water conservation, benefits of organic gardening and non-chemical pest management, and the greenhouse provides a perfect way to introduce the concept of the greenhouse effect and global warming.
How many people are impacted by this project:
Columbine Elementary has over 500 students attending each year. Within 5 years alone, approximately 900 children (plus their teachers and parent volunteers) have access to the garden and Growing Dome and programs offered. It is our hope that others – parents, teachers, neighbors – in our community will be inspired by our Greenhouse & Garden to Table Program and that other schools will also fundraise for similar outdoor learning spaces.
Donations and request:
Participating in the Growe Foundation's Garden to Table Program costs Columbine about $850 per year. In addition, we are continuing to raise funds for greenhouse materials and maintenance costs, with a budget goal of $2,000 annually. Any monetary or in-kind donations are greatly appreciated! Donations can be dropped off at the Columbine Elementary Office, with checks made payable to Columbine Elementary PTA. Please add a note that the donation is for the Greenhouse & Garden to Table Program. Thank you!
Feel free to contact Columbine Elementary Garden & Greenhouse to Table parent co-leader Micah Parkin if you have any questions at 504-258-1247 or [email protected].
As all Colorado gardeners know, our growing season can be disappointingly short and is largely outside of the regular school year. Our Growing Dome serves as a year-round growing and learning center for our students. Our greenhouse and garden enable students to learn how to grow their own food, supplement their salad bar throughout the school year, learn about nutrition, sell plants and produce at school and at the Farmers' Market for continued program funding, and provide an excellent hands-on learning center for science, math, and language arts.
With over 70% Latino and low-income students, statistics place many of Columbine Elementary’s students at greater risk of developing diabetes and other negative health conditions that can often be prevented through adopting routines of healthy food choices and exercise.
Our hope is that through a fun, hands-on Garden & Greenhouse to Table Program, students will learn to grow, prepare, and enjoy healthy foods and the wellness, satisfaction and other benefits that gardening and healthy eating can bring. Additionally, studies show that healthy foods and proper exercise benefit students by better preparing them for learning and concentration, increasing academic performance. Our school is already part of BVSD’s Healthy School Lunch Program, and we believe that our Greenhouse & Garden to Table Program is an excellent addition to this program, greatly benefiting our students’ health and learning potential.
Impact this project will have on people’s lives and the environment:
Due to obesity-related disease, this is the first generation of children predicted to have a lower life expectancy than their parents. Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions. One-third of American children are overweight or obese.
Overweight children are more likely to have asthma, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, social stigmatization, and other health problems. According to current estimates, one-third of all children born today – and one-half of Latino and black children – will develop type 2 diabetes in their lifetime. As mentioned previously, with over 70% Latino children at Columbine, statistics place our school’s children disproportionately at risk.
Data suggest that obese children and adolescents miss more school days than their normal-weight peers regardless of age, ethnicity, sex, and school attended. Overweight or obese children and adolescents in every grade experience poorer academic outcomes than their normal-weight peers.
Although Boulder County is a very fit and healthy community in general, childhood overweight and obesity have become problems in recent years, with 18.8% obesity or overweight rates (2008-10). Food, nutrition and healthy lifestyles is now integrated into BVSD curriculum primarily with the new Integrated Health Standards.
The Greenhouse & Garden to Table Program enables our school’s teachers and educators from Growing Gardens and our after-school classes to teach gardening, healthy eating and food education to the standards in an engaging way. We believe this will greatly benefit our student population and translate to healthier, more successful students.
The Growing Dome greenhouse also provides an excellent “outdoor classroom” that teachers can use to teach many subjects, including protection of the environment – water conservation, benefits of organic gardening and non-chemical pest management, and the greenhouse provides a perfect way to introduce the concept of the greenhouse effect and global warming.
How many people are impacted by this project:
Columbine Elementary has over 500 students attending each year. Within 5 years alone, approximately 900 children (plus their teachers and parent volunteers) have access to the garden and Growing Dome and programs offered. It is our hope that others – parents, teachers, neighbors – in our community will be inspired by our Greenhouse & Garden to Table Program and that other schools will also fundraise for similar outdoor learning spaces.
Donations and request:
Participating in the Growe Foundation's Garden to Table Program costs Columbine about $850 per year. In addition, we are continuing to raise funds for greenhouse materials and maintenance costs, with a budget goal of $2,000 annually. Any monetary or in-kind donations are greatly appreciated! Donations can be dropped off at the Columbine Elementary Office, with checks made payable to Columbine Elementary PTA. Please add a note that the donation is for the Greenhouse & Garden to Table Program. Thank you!
Feel free to contact Columbine Elementary Garden & Greenhouse to Table parent co-leader Micah Parkin if you have any questions at 504-258-1247 or [email protected].
