Growing Minds: a Life Cycle Project for All Students
Help me give my students opportunities to get outside and grow their minds by creating an outdoor learning space with chickens and raised garden beds for each grade level in the school.
$758 goal
This project expired on August 2, 2025.
This project expired on August 2, 2025.
My Project
We are seeking funding to establish raised garden beds and chickens on our elementary school campus, including our special education behavioral unit and our CARES classroom. Many of these students have autism, other health impairments, and emotional/behavioral challenges. Gardening has been proven to provide significant benefits. It offers a calm and structured environment, helping students develop patience and resilience. Gardening tasks encourage focus, routine, and a sense of accomplishment. The funds will be used to purchase the necessary materials to make this happen. The garden will provide a hands-on, sensory-rich environment that will engage students in meaningful tasks and practical skills while helping them develop essential life skills.
The raised garden project represents an exciting and meaningful opportunity for our district's students to learn valuable skills in a nurturing and engaging environment.
With your support, we can create a space where students not only grow plants but also grow as individuals—building responsibility, teamwork, and emotional well-being while learning about the world around them. This project also fosters a sense of connection between the age groups, allowing older students to serve as mentors while younger students gain confidence and excitement in their own learning. The garden serves as a valuable educational tool, providing a lasting, hands-on resource that enhances the curriculum in science, math, and social studies for years to come. This cross-age collaboration strengthens community ties and promotes a shared sense of responsibility for local environmental stewardship.
By adding the brooding box, we can expand the learning experience to include the chicken's life cycle. We are hoping to add chickens to the garden at a later date to enhance the learning experience.
More than a third of 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
60 students impacted
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EVERYGROW Brooder Box for Chicks, Chicken Brooder Box with Thermostat & Heating Plate, brooder House for Chicks with Heat, Baby Chicken cage Quails Hamsters for 30 Chicks,31.5"*15.7"*15.7"
• Amazon Business
$169.99
1
$169.99
Home-Complete 514537FXW Walk-in Greenhouse-Indoor Outdoor with 8 Sturdy Shelves-Grow Plants, Seedlings, Herbs, or Flowers in Any Season-Gardening Rack, Green
• Amazon Business
$74.95
2
$149.90
K&H Pet Products Chicken Brooder Heater for Chicks Ducklings, Adjustable Heating Plate for Brooder Boxes, Warms up to 30 Chicks, Chicken Coop Poultry Heating with Safety Light, Large 40 Watts
• Amazon Business
$79.98
1
$79.98
MARPHYL Organic Liquid Fertilizer - Outdoor & Indoor Plant Food - All-Purpose, Nutrient-Rich Lawn Fertilizer & Soil Enhancer for House Plants, Flowers, Vegetables, Succulents, Bamboo, Hydroponics
• Amazon Business
$77.90
1
$77.90
FCMP Outdoor IM4000 Dual Chamber Tumbling Composter Canadian-Made, 100% Recycled Resin - Outdoor Rotating Compost Tumbler Bin for Garden, Kitchen, and Yard Waste, Black (37 Gallon)
• Amazon Business
$72.79
1
$72.79
Organic Dolomite Lime 10LB - Made in USA - Garden Soil Amendment Fertilizer for Plants. Calcium/Magnesium Additive. Raise & Stabilize pH - Earthbox Tomatoes & Peppers Blossom End Rot. OMRI Listed
• Amazon Business
$29.99
1
$29.99
Ensayeer Bamboo Chicken Perch Set(4 Pack), Strong Roosting Bar for coop and brooder, Training Perch for Large Bird, Hens, Parrots, Macaw, Easy to Assemble and Clean, Fun Toys for Chicken
• Amazon Business
$23.99
1
$23.99
Materials cost
$604.54
Vendor shipping charges
FREE
Sales tax
$0.00
3rd party payment processing fee
$9.07
Fulfillment labor & materials
$30.00
Total project cost
$643.61
Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
$113.58
Total project goal
$757.19
Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.
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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. Kolach and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.