The vision of volunteers and staff alike to create a Garden Program at Charles Helmers Elementary came even closer to being fully realized with a grant from the Henry Mayo Newhall Foundation.
Sponsored Articles
The school had previously received a $10,000 grant from Seeds of Change, as well as support from the staff at the Santa Clarita Valley Lowe’s.
After the swell of community support only, one part of the program remained unfunded, the curriculum itself.
“It feels so nice to have the pressure of money off the table,” said Natalie Freed, who chaired the project for Charles Helmers Elementary. “Now we can just do cool stuff.”
Related Story: Charles Helmers Elementary Helps Students Grow With School Garden
The new grant from Henry Mayo Newhall Foundation is going specifically to help fund the program’s curriculum, such as supplies necessary to teach the kids.
“The $8,000 goes directly to the fees for the curriculum, buying the actual course material,” said Lisa Ely, the garden program instructor. “Parents were going to actually help supplement (the cost) but now with (the grant) it’s great, it gives us a headstart for next year.”
Currently, the program consists of primary kindergarten through second-grade students attending a short, 30-minute class once every two weeks, but Ely and the staff at Charles Helmers hope to continue to expand the program and its reach.