Garden Grant Update: Bend International School
Bend International School was one of seven School Garden Grant recipients in 2017. Here is a brief summary of what they did with the grant funds! Right now, The Environmental Center is fundraising to help MORE local teachers create and improve school gardens. Learn more and show your support here.
Bend International School put their grant funds towards a new irrigation system in their school garden. The automatic irrigation was designed to allow the vegetable garden to flourish throughout the summer months and be ready for harvest in the fall when students return. They purchased irrigation supplies like underground piping, hose bibs, drip irrigation, and timers to create three irrigation zones.
This new equipment has enabled teachers and students to plan the beds according to watering needs of plants. The beds are now getting the appropriate amount of water, and the greenhouse now has automatic irrigation – so overall, teachers will be able to greatly expand the scope of gardening curriculum.
Some quotes we love:
“We are so grateful for the Environmental Center’s support for our Irrigation of our K-8 School Garden. Our students are actively participating in the planting and cultivating of our food which has taken the learning beyond the classroom and into the real world. This would not be possible without the water, which gives us all life. Students are experiencing science first hand, and deeper learning is occurring, which benefits all of our students. — “Meera Rupp, Director
“The school garden is developing into a community space for our students to gather and share. It is beautiful to observe students learning how to carefully transplant, plan out garden beds, explore earthworms and learn to love the taste of Kale right off the plant! We are thankful for the irrigation system to provide water to keep the garden growing so that all can enjoy. Thank you for supporting our school.” — Heather Leeder, Resource Specialist
“If we didn’t have irrigation to water the plants, we would never be able to see a pretty butterfly again.” — Gabriella, 1st grade.
