Kids Garden Month Winners

Let's Grow Together!

Kids Garden Month logo

Congratulations to our Kids Garden Month winners!

We were so amazed by all the wonderful entries this year! It was amazing to see so many kids playing, learning, and growing together with their community. 

Group Grand Prize Winners

A drawing and words written by a child. The words read "I garden with Mom. Gardening lets us work together. My brain is growing when I learn about gardening."

Hinkletown Mennonite School

Ms. Lichty's class created a book all about who they garden with, and how it makes them feel.

A child sits on the edge of a raised bed. It's a video link.

Midway Hills Academy Garden

Hope's garden program spent the entire year saving up single-use plastic water bottles so all 400+ 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders could create and bring home their own gardening units. These two students not only taught other students how to create these systems, but also wanted YOU to grow together with them too!

A cover slide that reads "Created by the 4th grade class at New Kituwah Academy"

New Kituwah Academy (ᎠᏤ ᎩᏚᏩ)

This entry is created in Cherokee language by the 4th grade class at New Kituwah Academy. New Kituwah is the dual language school for the Eastern Band of Cherokee in North Carolina. This group of students is silly and fun and never hesitates to put in the work it takes to grow a garden. It is a great way to use the language in an authentic way while connecting to their ancestorial land native foodways. This is how we grow together, with language, culture, and each other in the garden.

Two kids standing in a garden, holding a paper, about to start telling a story.

Community Roots Academy

We received lots of amazing video entries from the students at Community Roots Academy! Here is a great one.

A child is outside holding a colorful bouquet of flowers

Nathaniel Hawthorne Elementary

The ages of the students submitting the entries include the 3rd through 5th grade garden club ambassadors. They help document all the amazing things the program does through the school garden Instagram account during club days and they were the individuals who selected the photos to submit. The images selected are related to "growing together" and the pictures speak a thousand words. We get our hands dirty together, we brainstorm together, and we learn together.

Individual Grand Prize Winners 

Two kids in pink dresses using a hose together to water a garden.

Enriquez family

"My two teenager boys had Mrs. Quiles as their first grade teacher and now it’s been a blessing to have her for my daughters first grade teacher as well. She has planted a small seed in each of my kids minds and hearts to love gardening. Gardening has helped us to work together, to love nature and to create beautiful memories that will last a lifetime." 

A collage of many images of kids in the garden

Dani Mendell

Dani is a high school student who says, "Gardening at my school has helped everyone there to grow and learn together! We formed new friendships and connections, and continue to learn about and care for the environment at the same time. Through my gardening experiences, and my work at ESP, I’ve realized that I would like to become a psychologist, and work with special needs individuals. I would like to use nature-based therapies like gardening to help my clients to learn about themselves and the world around them."

A drawing of a fish in a tank, with plants in the tank, and plants above the tank.

Jordan (and Kit!)

What a unique take on gardening, together: aquaponics! Jordan writes, "Every day I wake up to see my fish. Her name is Kit. We 'grow' plants together because the water she lives in helps grow aqua plants and regular plants above her tank."

A poem and a drawing of yellow boots and flowers.

Kaelyn

Kaelyn's poem shares the beauty of gardening together in the lovely season of spring!

Victoria at striped table with a sign that reads "Trash Gardening"

Victoria Wiggins

Victoria wrote us a beautiful essay about how she grows with her community. She starts, "I am thrilled to share my story about how I grow together with my family, friends, and community. Gardening has been a fun and exciting way for me to connect with the people around me and learn about the environment."

Thank you to our Kids Garden Month sponsor, Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day!

Mrs Meyer's Clean Day logo