VERO BEACH — The Education Foundation of Indian River County is pleased to announce it has received a $5,000 grant from the Indian River Community Foundation to help establish a Community Garden at Vero Beach Elementary School.
The project “Achieving our Green Dreams – Planting Seeds for the Future” is about transforming the lives of Vero Beach Elementary students. It’s about teaching children of poverty and their parents how to use basic tools and resources to generate sustainable food and energy.
The garden is a tool to educate students about food and security. The children will learn how to grow their own food. The entire process will be part of the established curriculum that will be entwined in all reading, writing, math, and science.
Students and their parents will learn how to make better nutritional choices on a limited budget that will reduce obesity and diabetes.
“Through generous grants, such as the $5,000 recently awarded from the Indian River Community Foundation to the Education Foundation of Indian River County, innovative projects are funded which enhance learning and ultimately the quality of life right here in our own community,” commented incoming Education Foundation Board President Patricia Donovan.
“Preparing our students for their careers in the 21st century is critical to making sure they will be able to compete with students from around the world. We must give children the ability to fully benefit from classroom instruction. Support given to our students through these grants helps ensure that our students are healthy, while also engaging them in current teaching practices,” explained Superintendent of Schools Dr. Fran Adams.
The $5,000 grant was awarded by the Indian River Community Foundation through a competitive grants program designed to address time-sensitive community needs intensified by the recent economic recession.
Kerry Bartlett, Executive Director of the Indian River Community Foundation, said her Board of Directors appreciated the opportunity to help the Education Foundation complete this project.
“This is a unique opportunity to help Vero Beach Elementary implement a new way to educate students,” said Bartlett. “The Community Garden has the potential to make healthy, affordable food readily available for children and families in need while providing them skills they will rely on for the rest of their life.”
The Indian River Community Foundation is a neutral nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in Indian River County through donor-driven philanthropy.
Founded in 2005, the organization began operating formally in 2008 and, in partnership with its donors, has since facilitated over $6 million in charitable contributions to nonprofit organizations, with more than 93 percent of those funds staying within Indian River County.
To learn more, visit www.IRCommunityFoundation.com.
To learn more about the Education Foundation of Indian River County, visit: www.EDFoundationIRC.org.
