My students need to purchase gardening supplies, math and science tools that support learning themes related to healthy eating, gardening and physical activity.
Our school faces a very high rate of childhood obesity. With 57% eligible for free or reduced lunch program, I challenge the the students to take ownership of their learning and to cultivate an understanding for healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle. Encouraging them to take charge of their health
Our elementary school is located in east Pasadena at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains.
Our school educates students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Of the 465 students currently in our school, 57% are eligible for the Free or Reduced Lunch. We are a diverse school both ethnically and economically. Our student body demographics include 48% Hispanic and 52% Non-Hispanic, 17% Black, 14% White, 11% Chinese, 3% Filipino, 2% Armenian, 1% Indian/Alaskan, and 1% Refused to state. Seven languages are represented among our school population and 22% of our students are enrolled in the English Learner Program. Our classroom parents have bought vouchers already to significantly help with this grant for full funding.
We face the issue of low API scores and a lack of interest in science and math. We need to address these issues with an integrative approach by creating a hands on, project based learning environment.
My Project
Our project aims to use the school garden as a rich resource for project based learning. The garden will be used to teach elementary children about science, math and languages as they measure, calculate proper spacing and lighting, learn why and how to nurture plants, and create the signs in many languages. In addition, the garden curriculum while teaching core learning principles integrates the nutrition message that fruits and vegetables are essential to good health. While tasting the foods grown, there will be recipes that feature different cuisines, teaching children to appreciate different cultures and languages. By growing healthy foods, students will be more interested in tasting healthy foods, and by working in the garden, students will learn to enjoy physical activity.
We are requesting to purchase garden tool sets, growing garden games, plant books, root viewer and supporting materials to help teach our students healthy eating and activity.
Like many in the United States, our school is struggling to fight the childhood obesity epidemic while improving school success.
At our school this incidence is significantly higher. Project based learning has been shown to be most effective in poorer schools. When students take ownership of their learning, their self-esteem improves as well as their achievement. In addition, our school is home to the Mandarin Dual Language Immersion program. Our garden project will be multilingual.
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