Gardening can be an exciting, hands-on way for young students to learn about responsibility and the world around them. It teaches them that inside and outside of the classroom, a little hard work and patience can go a long way in creating something beautiful.
For their Girl Scout project, Kinley Sterne and Hayden McCauley of Troop 674 set out in search of a preschool serving children and families in a community of need. They contacted Catholic Charities’ Westside Head Start program, which provides comprehensive, year-round early childhood education using the holistic approach of working with the whole family.
Students Learn a New, Sustainable Skill
These Girl Scout Cadettes presented the idea of teaching students how to plant flowers and vegetables. The girls had taken the initiative to fundraise for, design and build mobile garden planter boxes for the project.
With staff permission, they arrived at Westside Head Start’s Peoria, Ariz. site ready to get started. They brought all the tools and supplies needed, including books to help educate the students about gardening.
Hands-On Education for Years to Come
The girls installed the planters and guided the Head Start students in planting different flowers, vegetables and herbs. They even provided a planting calendar so that students could keep the garden growing all year round.
Kinley and Hayden spent over 50 hours on the project and earned their Silver Award, the highest level of award that a Girl Scout Cadette can achieve. They completed the project almost entirely on their own, with little assistance from parents and troop leaders.
"The children and teachers at the Peoria Head Start site that received the planters were very excited and grateful to have such a wonderful gift that will provide years of hands-on learning opportunities,” said Natasha Neal, Executive Assistant for the Westside Head Start program.
If you’re interested in supporting Westside Head Start students, you can easily donate items directly to our offices using our Amazon Charity List. By donating items like books and toys, you can help create a bright future for students in early education.
