Micheltorena Elementary Garden's Idea
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GOALS
Transform a 5,800 s.f. asphalt parking lot at Micheltorena Elementary School into an organic garden
and experiantial, cooperative classroom. (Image 1)
Grow organic fruits and vegetables; learn to prepare healthy foods and create fundamental change for
the school and the community it serves.
NEED
A recent Progress Report created for Micheltorena Elementary shows 370 enrolled students, with 318
or 86% categorized as socioeconomically disadvantaged. 1 in 3 Los Angeles school children are
projected to be obese in 2010. (Graph 1)
COMMUNITY IMPACT
In advocating for these kids and community, the plan is to build the garden with the “Silver Lake
Green Brigade” - all local volunteers – to support parents, teachers and Principal Furfari at
Micheltorena Elementary. Synergy between community and school will amplify dollars coming from
Nature’s Path exponentially. The nonprofit Friends of Micheltorena (FOM) will insure funding for
upkeep and improvements for years to come.
The garden will be the first step in reshaping the immediate school environment – slowing traffic,
planting trees, building a bus shelter on Sunset Blvd, and making the street crossing safer. (Image
2) The garden will also help raise the school’s profile and promote enrollment.
HEALTH AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
The garden will empower a nascent movement to replace trucked in hot lunches by reopening the
school’s cafeteria and stocking it with fresh local and seasonal foods, grown by and for the
kids.
A garden kitchen will provide local chefs the opportunity to teach kids the culinary arts and how to
cook a healthy meal.
Surplus produce will be donated to local pantries serving the dis-advantaged, teaching the value of
sharing within community. Partnering with local nonprofit Hollywood Sunset Free Clinic will teach
kids the medicinal uses of herbs. A chicken coop and fishpond will enhance the biodiversity of the
garden and teach perma-culture.
Rainwater collecting and solar panel observation will help this off the grid garden teach
environmental sustainability.
In addition to the regular school garden features, part of our edible herb, fruit and vegetable
crops will be sold by the students to local restaurants, introducing early-on the concept of
“income” as linked to sustainability.
Eventually, the gardens in local Elementary, Middle, and High schools will all connect via
“gateways” in each school garden, poetically suggesting growing up is a not-so-scary walk from
garden-to-garden, school-to-school. Older students will be able to mentor younger ones, creating a
strong link between schools and easing the stresses of childhood. (Image 3)
SUMMARY
As an interdisciplinary school environment and community project, this garden will be a
transformational force for Micheltorena School and for the citizens of Silver Lake. It will serve as
an educational tool, classroom area, and a gathering place for students, teachers, parents and the
community at large.
Silver Lake is overflowing with dedication, excitement, and motivation to complete this shovel ready
project; and this grant will help us make it all possible.
“We love it! We support it! Let’s run with it!”
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