Help me give my students garden beds, seeds, and seedling trays to grow food for the school and local community while learning English.
$496 goal
This project expired on September 1, 2025.
This project expired on September 1, 2025.
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Project
Our school has a community garden that serves as an educational beacon for newly arrived immigrants to learn English through gardening, ecological restoration, and community building projects. Though our school community resides within a food desert, our students are helping create local food sources, including through growing and harvesting vegetables, as an ongoing community service project that promotes nutrition and environmental stewardship.
When students grow vegetables to share with others they can become empowered to lead hands on community service projects that restore and nurture not only the natural world but communities like ours too.
Our students will collaborate with the school community residents and local businesses to grow the seeds into vegetable plants, in both indoor (transplanting) and outdoor (direct sowing) environments. The requested materials will support our community service outreach initiative. They will grow vegetables outdoors in garden raised beds and a compost bin. Indoors they will read informational texts, plus explore and observe growing your own food.
By taking ownership of this community service learning project, our students are taking a big step toward a healthier community. They will play a crucial role in advocating for policies that support food security and promote improving the natural environment. They will give away vegetables they raise and build community relationships, all while learning English. With the support of the raised beds, vegetable seeds, and trays, we're confident they'll demonstrate a path for affordably providing fresh food and restoring the degraded natural environment in our South Bronx community.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
80 students impacted
Boost your odds
Add a profile photo in addition to your classroom photo. If you add a photo, it'll show up right here on your project page.
You are more likely to receive funding if you put a face to your name.
Vego garden Raised Garden Bed Kits, 17" Tall 6 in 1 Modular Metal Raised Planter Bed for Vegetables Flowers Patio Ground Planter Box-Olive Green
• Amazon Business
$157.99
1
$157.99
Vego garden Raised Garden Bed Kits, 17" Tall 6 in 1 Modular Metal Raised Planter Bed for Vegetables Flowers Patio Ground Planter Box-Olive Green
• Amazon Business
$157.99
1
$157.99
Plant Tray 22 x 11 x 2-3/4"
• Carolina Biological Supply Company
$11.92
3
$35.76
Survival Vegetable Seeds Garden Kit Over 16,000 Seeds Non-GMO and Heirloom, Great for Emergency Bugout Survival Gear 35 Varieties Seeds for Planting Vegetables 35 Free Plant Markers Gardeners Basics
• Amazon Business
$28.95
1
$28.95
Materials cost
$380.69
Vendor shipping charges
$4.65
Sales tax
$0.00
3rd party payment processing fee
$5.71
Fulfillment labor & materials
$30.00
Total project cost
$421.05
Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
$74.30
Total project goal
$495.35
Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mr. Czarka and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
{"pmaHash":"","showProjectRecommendations":true,"leadGenEnabled":true,"hideTeacherDetails":false,"schoolState":"NY","teacherPossessivePronoun":"his","PMsManager":null,"schoolGradeType":{"id":2,"name":"Elementary School"},"TeacherPMForms":{},"completingDonationAmount":496,"teacherHasClassroomPhoto":true,"proposalURL":"https://www.donorschoose.org/project/growing-food-solving-hunger-learning-e/9311380/","mayHaveReplacements":false,"numStudents":80,"isEquityFocusV1":true,"teacherScreenName":"Mr. Czarka","isEquityFocus":true,"proposalHash":"1693872772","isApplePayMobileOnly":true,"progressBarPercentage":0.00,"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"photosPublished":false,"queryString":"","DonorPMForm":null,"shouldTrackEquityFocusV2":true,"schoolCity":"Bronx","teachersOnPage":[187],"isTeacherViewingTheirOwnProject":false,"minimizedLeadGenEnabled":true,"proposalId":9311380,"proposalMessageFormModel":null,"numActiveProjects":2,"verifyShowPhotos":"","eligibleToBeCopied":false,"schoolId":285,"schoolName":"PS 48 Joseph R Drake","authorIds":{"187":{"owner":"Mr. Czarka","donationSalutations":{}}},"displayedPercentFunded":0.0,"proposalsOnPage":[9311380],"pmaId":"","teacherProfilePhotoURL":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp187_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1457193005736","teacherHasProfilePhoto":true,"currentWorkflowStatusCode":7,"teacherChallengeId":73017,"isApplePayEnabled":true,"fundedByTarget":false,"activeProject":{"completingDonationAmount":455,"proposalURL":"project/explore-stem-and-nature-through-cyanotyp/9838066/","proposalTitle":"Explore STEM and Nature Through Cyanotypes!","proposalId":9838066},"donorIdsForImpactPhotoCheck":[],"teacherId":187,"schoolCounty":"Bronx","fullyFunded":false,"isStudentLed":false,"isExpired":true,"schoolStateObj":{"code":"NY","name":"New York"}}
