The transformation from an eyesore to a science garden has started at Locust Grove Elementary School.
The members of the Locust Grove Women's Club saw potential where classroom windows surrounded an overgrown, unorganized courtyard. They envisioned "a classroom with a view," an outdoor garden lab with a variety of opportunities to teach and learn.
"The money that we got from United Way is seed money," said Kathy Engeman, a horticulturist and member of the Locust Grove Women's Club who led club members, parents, students and community volunteers in creating the garden.
The group received a United Way Community Neighborhood Investment Fund (CNI) grant for the project. United Way CNI grants (usually between $500 and $1,000) are small grants made to neighborhood and community groups for one-time projects.
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Kathy designed the garden for low maintenance upkeep and included a variety of plants (many native to Georgia) for the students to study. She also works with the computer science teacher to integrate garden projects into students' computer literacy curriculum.
The Locust Grove community is giving the time, love and encouragement the flowers and students need to blossom. United Way supplied the money to get the project started.
From the seed of an idea, the lessons of the garden continue to grow, even beyond school. Every student at Locust Grove Elementary is given a plant to take home. Maybe it will be the beginning of their own gardens. It might even be the seed of an idea for a career in science that could bloom in ways that will change the world.
Helping people make a difference in their communities is just one of the ways United Way makes our community safer and stronger.
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