For kids the time between classes is also special, but at Lake Forest Elementary in El Dorado Hills, the break time gives students a chance to grow.“We can come out here every recess that it’s open,” said fourth grader Dylann Bayleff. “I really like gardening. It’s super relaxing, and it’s really fun when you find a worm in the soil.”But the garden at Lake Forest started seven years ago with a seed planted by a parent who simply saw kids sitting around at recess.”They came in, and they started pulling weeds,” said Gina Johnston. “I started noticing a difference right away, and it became contagious, and more kids wanted to join in on this. Before you knew it, we transformed this whole garden area, which was knee-high to waist-high weeds, into a beautiful garden.”Talk about cultivation not only with the students, but also with the Rescue Union School District’s administration.”The superintendent and the board members came and did a tour and were like ‘we want to do this for all of our schools,’” Johnston added.That’s how Project Green sprouted. Johnston’s non-profit was designed to deliver gardens to as many schools as possible. Right now, the program can be found at 16 area schools. “It just touches my heart, because I know these kids love this,” Johnston said. “They really engage in it.”The hope is that what’s grown here will end up in the school lunch, though easier said than done.”Our ultimate goal is to get them to the cafeteria if the kids don’t eat them before they get there,” Johnston joked.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
For kids the time between classes is also special, but at Lake Forest Elementary in El Dorado Hills, the break time gives students a chance to grow.
“We can come out here every recess that it’s open,” said fourth grader Dylann Bayleff. “I really like gardening. It’s super relaxing, and it’s really fun when you find a worm in the soil.”
But the garden at Lake Forest started seven years ago with a seed planted by a parent who simply saw kids sitting around at recess.
“They came in, and they started pulling weeds,” said Gina Johnston. “I started noticing a difference right away, and it became contagious, and more kids wanted to join in on this. Before you knew it, we transformed this whole garden area, which was knee-high to waist-high weeds, into a beautiful garden.”
Talk about cultivation not only with the students, but also with the Rescue Union School District’s administration.
“The superintendent and the board members came and did a tour and were like ‘we want to do this for all of our schools,’” Johnston added.
That’s how Project Green sprouted. Johnston’s non-profit was designed to deliver gardens to as many schools as possible. Right now, the program can be found at 16 area schools.
“It just touches my heart, because I know these kids love this,” Johnston said. “They really engage in it.”
The hope is that what’s grown here will end up in the school lunch, though easier said than done.
“Our ultimate goal is to get them to the cafeteria if the kids don’t eat them before they get there,” Johnston joked.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
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