By turning a vacant lot into a beautiful plot of land with 12 different garden beds, the children at Stewart Middle School have begun to learn the importance of nutritious foods. Though the garden began only a year ago, the teachers and students at Stewart Middle School have already had their efforts rewarded as they received the 2011 Muhammad Ali Center Peace Garden Grant. The school cafeteria joined in on the fun and served fresh strawberry smoothies using only strawberries that were grown in the Peace Garden. The garden also offered participation opportunities for students who did not have “green thumbs” as they helped the teachers to build benches and sheds and allowed their artistic talents to further emerge by decorating bird houses. The peace garden concept began after a teacher at Stewart Middle School read Seedfolks, a short novel about people in a community who transform an empty lot into a garden with bean seeds and how it changes their lives.
Watch what happened when the 10! Show visited the garden.
