Boise Mayor David Bieter and other City officials will be at the
Madison Early Childhood Center to join with teachers and
families as they celebrate the schools new community garden
and worm composting project on Monday, May 21 from 10:30 to
11:30.
The Friends of Children and Families Head Start program is
comprised of children from mostly low income, refugee, and
homeless families. Most of the families and children took part
in gardening activities. The children and parents
learned sustainable gardening skills that include growing,
harvesting and eating the delicious/nutritious food they grew.
"The children learn responsibility from the garden project,"
said Madison Head Start teacher Bridgett Stiegemeier. "They ask
questions and theorize about what is happening to the garden and
the compost. It develops science and math skills that are inherent
in gardening."
The Head Start program used funds from a city of Boise
EnviroGuard Youth Mini-Grant to enhance several garden boxes and
the composter. Through the Youth Mini-Grant program students serve
the community with volunteer work, enhance, and protect the local
environment, and teach friends, neighbors, and classmates about the
importance of environmental protection, community service, and
leadership.
For information on Youth Mini-Grants, call Pamela at (208)
395-7886 or send an e-mail to pwilliams@cityofboise.org.