Ford School Community Garden and Ingalls School Garden

A True Seed Investment 
For as little as $10, you can help a community reap all the benefits a garden has to offer. In just 39 days, we plan to raise $2500 per garden; to feed,  teach, and inspire people in each of these 100 communities. Here are a few things our garden plans to do with your donations:

The partnership between these two schools in Lynn, MA and the non-profit garden education organization, CitySprouts this fall has allowed greater access and opportunity for teachers to use these garden spaces. With your support, we hope to expand our program so that all students can have opportunities to dig, grow and learn!

Our gardens in Lynn represent two unique and diverse communities at the Robert L. Ford School and Ingalls Elementary School. Our goals are for both gardens to act as extensions of the classroom, providing resources and opportunities for teachers to integrate their existing curricula into an outdoor setting, while engaging kids in hand-on lessons about healthy eating and environmental stewardship. Our garden already exists at Ford because of an incredible partnership with the local neighborhood advocacy group, The Highlands Coalition, which helps run the garden and uses it as a community space to meet, socialize, and connect around good food.

At Ingalls, the garden is set to be built this spring in conjunction with The Food Project’s Ingalls School Farm; already the presence of the farm has united neighbors and reduced rates of vandalism and illegal activity around the school by giving those neighbors a sense of ownership over the space. The building of a school-specific garden will offer a space for all students to engage in growing food, learning, and becoming stewards of their community.

Why Gardens?
Because gardens are a living laboratory for education. Not just healthy food—a lesson on what producing healthy food requires. Not just exposure to nature—a way for children to literally harvest the fruits of their labor. At CitySprouts, we believe that a garden can offer a resource to not only engage in a compelling, hands-on manner, but also act as a tool to teach the subjects teachers already need to teach: science, math, social studies, language arts, and more!

Because gardens produce healthier food. Only 2% of American children eat enough fruits and vegetables, and 1 in 3 American children born after 2000 is at risk for Type II diabetes. A garden is an introduction to the real, healthy food students and families need access to.

Because gardens can help fix America's nature deficit. With more than 80% of Americans living in cities and suburbs, we need to work harder than ever to teach the values of natural processes.

CHECK OUT THE GALLERY FOR IMAGES & VIDEOS

Look Good, Do Good
With every contribution to our garden, donors will receive organic, ethical perks from PACT. Our socks, undies, and t-shirts are produced to high standards of sustainability, with the comfiest organic materials we can find. You'll be giving out of the goodness of your heart, and in return you'll get PACT goodies. It's a win-win situation.

**For more information about CitySprouts, visit our website:** www.citysprouts.org