The lazy days of summer are upon us, but it doesn’t take long for those lazy days to turn into b-o-r-i-n-g days for kids. Fortunately, there are options.
“Vacation Garden School” at the Brownwood Area Community Garden will give area children the opportunity to learn the ABCs of gardening and have a lot of fun while doing so.Scheduled for July 6-10, the Community Garden’s third annual Vacation Garden School is geared for children ages 8 through 12. Besides planting, harvesting and observing life (read “bugs”) in the Garden, kids will learn about the concept of community and the role they play as members of that community.
Vacation Garden School will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday, July 6, through Friday, July 10. Tuition is $25 per student, which includes a healthy, nutritious lunch each day, t-shirt, workbooks, and craft projects. Class size is limited and deadline for registration is July 1.
Vacation Garden School is funded in part by grants from the Brownwood Woman’s Club and the Brownwood Garden Culture Club, making it possible for the Community Garden to offer the week-long event at a nominal cost.
Daniel Graham, coordinator of the Brownwood Area Community Garden and lead instructor of the Garden School, wants kids to see the big picture.
“It’s not just about planting a seed and watching it grow,” he said. “It’s about understanding that what an individual does can affect the world around them in so many ways. Yes, you can plant a seed and watch it grow, but we want kids to think about how that simple act can make a big difference in their community and in their lives.”
That concept is the mission of the Community Garden in a nutshell.
The Garden’s motto of “Plant Seed. Feed People.” defines the organization’s purpose. In the five years since it was first built on an unused sports field in a low-income housing area, the Brownwood Area Community Garden has donated almost 10,000 pounds of fresh, naturally grown food to area food pantries, primarily the Loaves and Fishes soup kitchen at the Brownwood Salvation Army.
“Kids at the Vacation Garden School will help deliver fresh produce to the Salvation Army,” Graham said. “And then, we’ll have lunch there on Friday, at the Loaves and Fishes soup kitchen, so they can see and taste the fruits of their labor.”
For additional information and registration forms, call Daniel Graham, 325-641-9029.
The Garden School is part of the Community Garden’s efforts to provide education on sustainable, natural gardening practices and is a collaboration of the Brownwood Area Community Garden, Keep Brownwood Beautiful, and Central Texas Opportunities, Inc.
Cutline: Garden Coordinator Daniel Graham explains the basic concepts of compost to students at the Brownwood Area Community Garden’s annual Vacation Garden School. This year’s event is July 6 – 10, and is open to students ages 8 – 12. Tuition is $25 per student.
