Sunday 14 October 2018

P4HC: North Cariboo Receives Funds To Support Gardens at 2 North Cariboo Schools

In the Spring of this year, the Partners for Healthier Communities - North Cariboo received funding under an Imagine Grant through Northern Health to support 2 Elementary School Gardens in the North Cariboo.  Two schools submitted a Request for Proposal for funding under the P4HC:NC and with the funding received, the P4HC:NC was able to support both Barlow Creek Elementary School and Carson Elementary with a "Garden Project".

For each of the schools, the Garden Projects were focused on:

Barlow Creek Elementary School

- Learning to Sow and Grow at Barlow Elementary School
- To provide students with hands-on experience and knowledge to grow their own food and encourage a new generation of gardeners.
- To engage students, parents and other community members in the process of growing and processing healthy, local food.
- To provide a hands-on learning tool to explore Life Sciences and environmental stewardship with the students.
The funds were used to purchase grow lights that will be used in the classrooms in early 2019 to grow seeds for the garden boxes. Volunteers provided supplies and time to construct 6 large garden boxes in the back of the school – one for each grade to plant in the spring. Upon return to school in September the students harvested the potatoes and will be learning more about their nutritional value and how to prepare and taste.

Carson Elementary Garden Project
- To create a sustainable garden program for the staff and students, with the support of SD 28 Board of Directors. The group would like to be part of introducing agriculture/gardening into the district’s teaching curriculum. Our goal is to have a sustainable vegetable garden that will help educate students on where their food comes from and how to prepare them.
The funds were used to purchase a tool shed and supplies. A Garden was planted but there were some challenges due to hot conditions and access to water.