HFHK hosts Legislative Planting Day with Holodick, Meyer and others to plant with students
Education Secretary Holodick, New Castle County Executive Meyer brave the cold to plant seeds with students at Lancashire and East Millsboro Elementary Schools
"This program needs to be in every school in Delaware!" - Matt Meyer
On March 14, legislators from around the state join students at new partner schools, Lancashire Elementary (NCC) and East Millsboro Elementary (Sussex) in their first planting day in the garden.
Despite the windy and chilly day, County Executive Matt Meyer, Senator Kyle Evans Gay, and Representative Sherry Dorsey-Walker joined kindergarteners as HFHK Program Manager Jen Cipolla instructed them how to plant lettuce, spinach, and rainbow chard at Lancashire. First graders ventured out later in the day to plant carrots, radishes, and dill.
Later that afternoon, Delaware Secretary of Education, Dr. Mark Holodick and Indian River School District Superintendent Dr. Jay Owens visited a kindergarten class at East Millsboro Elementary School. Together, as instructed by Program Coordinator Rachel Terracina, Drs. Holodick and Owens helped plant carrots and radishes as students learned about the school garden for the first time. East Millsboro Elementary is the fifth school partnership within the Indian River School District, following Phillip Showell, John Clayton, and Lord Baltimore Elementary Schools and their Early Learning Center.
Dr. Owens commented, "The Indian River School District is proud to partner with the Healthy Food For Healthy Kids program. The partnership provides our students with an opportunity to step out of their traditional classroom to learn how to plant, grow and harvest vegetables. Not only are our students learning about the nutritional benefits of gardening, they are given the opportunity to eat the vegetables they have helped to produce."
This was Dr. Holodick's first visit to an HFHK garden.
"Promoting our program to our local legislature and representatives is crucial to HFHK longevity and future success," remarked Lydia Sarson, HFHK Executive Director. "HFHK relies heavily on state and federal funding for program expansion and continuity. It is important the state's key decision makers know who we are and about our Education Cultivation program. But what's even more critical is that they see it first-hand. Witnessing the students' excitement over planting seeds is something we, as an organization, can never properly capture in a grant report."
Anita Broccolino, HFHK Director, Community Engagement and Partnerships, continued "We were so happy to hear of the interest of many who were unable to join due to scheduling conflicts. In light of this we are planning to invite everyone back to both Maple Lane (NCC) and Lewes (Sussex) Elementary Schools for a harvest in May. "
