As the La Jolla Elementary School garden program continues to grow, so does support from the community.
Area Eagle Scout candidate Kane Chakamian recently completed a project to build and install two new planter beds with irrigation for the campus garden, creating more opportunities for the students there to get hands-on (or perhaps hands-in) experience.
“These beds will serve our shorter, younger gardeners, and all of our students can see the soil and what is growing as they pass,” said La Jolla Elementary garden chairwoman Kira Higgins. “Our current beds are tall, so you can’t really see what is growing until it gets a bit taller, unless you look over the edge.
“We are very thankful for this project. It was the No. 1 ask of teachers and parents this year to put in additional beds.”
For Kane, 17, who attends Torrey Pines High School, helping the elementary school garden was a no-brainer.
There were gardens at Solana Santa Fe Elementary in Rancho Santa Fe when he was a student there, so when he learned of the need at La Jolla Elementary, he knew he wanted to build the garden beds for his Eagle project.
“I remember gardening when I was that age and it being some of my favorite times in school,” Kane said. “So to give more beds to La Jolla Elementary School gives more kids the time to go outdoors, [and that] was meaningful to me.”
Eagle Scout candidate Kane Chakamian recently built and installed new planter beds in the La Jolla Elementary School garden. (Dina Chakamian)
The Eagle rank is the highest achievement in Scouting, and only about 4% of Boy Scouts nationwide earn the title. Eagle Scout candidates must earn 21 merit badges, participate in a leadership conference and complete a project that benefits the community, as well as other prerequisites.
To carry out his project, Kane worked with Higgins to identify spots that could use additional garden beds, ultimately deciding on sunnier areas of the campus near Marine Street to build and install 4-by-8-foot and 12-by-3-foot planter boxes.
“It wasn’t too difficult, thankfully,” Kane said. “With the help of my family and my Troop [766], we went out and bought all the supplies and brought it back to our house. I had four friends come over and build the beds in part and then took all those parts and assembled them [at La Jolla Elementary]. I saw it as a chance to show off my leadership because it was a lot of planning. I think it turned out great.”
Higgins said “These additional beds are needed to provide more space for children to plant and harvest. Currently some of our beds are shared between three classrooms. That’s a little over 60 kids growing in the same bed. When you’re managing a classroom of around 20 kids, it helps to have more space for children to get their hands in the soil. We were so thankful to have Kane leading this project.”
Kane expects to learn in the next month or so whether his project earned him the Eagle rank, culminating nearly a lifetime of Scouting.
Kane said he got interested in the Boy Scouts watching his older brother Kian, who went on campouts and backpacking trips, earning merit badges along the way.
“When it was my time, I enjoyed learning all these new skills and earning badges and meeting the requirements to reach the next rank,” Kane said.
“After I completed enough steps, the only thing left was Eagle. My brother achieved that rank and my troop has an insanely high Eagle Scout rank rate, so I felt really supported along the way. The support of my friends and family made it easier.” ♦
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