New 'Giving Garden' Teaches Students And Will Feed Those In Need

PORT CHESTER, NY — For the Port Chester Middle School (PCMS) students who take part in the new Giving Garden After-School Club, taking care of the environment means taking care of people.

This April, Port Chester Middle School launched the after-school club under the leadership of consumer science teacher Allison Silverman. Students will not only learn sustainability as they tend the edible garden, but the expected bounty of their work will also help to feed families in the community.

The initiative was organized through a partnership between Sustainable Westchester, the Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation (CELF) and the school district. Silverman and CELF instructors say the goal of the extracurricular activity is to expose the middle school students to practical sustainable gardening techniques as well as civic engagement in community — all while getting their hands dirty.

“We are thrilled to deepen our relationship with the Port Chester community through this partnership with the Port Chester Middle School,” Sustainable Westchester Executive Director Nina Orville said. “We are eager to bring value and engagement with parents, children, and the community as a whole through sustainability education in Port Chester, one of our member municipalities. The Giving Garden project which expects to harvest and distribute 1,000 pounds of food to the community is a powerful example of the interconnectedness of sustainability action”

In addition to sharing the fruits and vegetables they grow this spring and summer, students will have a chance to share the experience of turning a garden of seedlings into a bounty that will feed a village at the CELF 2021 Virtual Student Symposium. The May 22, online celebration will feature student groups from throughout North America presenting updates on their projects supported by the CELF Civic Science Inquiry-To-Action program.