The Green Heart Project (GHP) builds garden-based experiential learning projects to educate students, connect people and cultivate community, through growing, eating and celebrating food. Founded as a grassroots effort in 2009 as a small school garden at Mitchell Elementary School in downtown Charleston, the intention behind GHP was to connect students with fresh, locally-grown produce.
As a Title I public school in a labeled food desert, the majority of Mitchell Elementary students come from low-income households that lack access to the whole, fresh fruits and vegetables that are needed to lead a healthy lifestyle. Within the first year, it was evident that this school garden offered more than fresh vegetables. With students and volunteers, now known as Green Heart Buddies, working together in the garden, a mentorship was fostered. From this model in volunteer-assisted service-learning, it became evident that the students were growing academically, personally and socially, just as the vegetables were growing big in the garden. This outdoor classroom became an organic model for reinforcing academic standards, building interpersonal skills and developing relationships between students and their adult mentors, while connecting students and families to fresh food, health and the environment.
By Spring of 2020, our Farm to School programs will reach over 2,200 students across 12 schools, featuring 9 school gardens and our newest community asset: a 1/2 acre urban farm in the heart of downtown. In line with our original mission, 9/12 of these schools serve a low-income student population. Throughout the Fall and Spring semesters, our after-school program students participate in weekly lessons where mentors lead students through gardening and culinary activities, teaching topics of food, culture, health and the environment. Another 1,000 students receive our STEM or in-school programming annually, which focuses on teaching and reinforcing grade level standards in an outdoor, hands-on setting. Through activities such as garden gatherings, cafeteria taste-tests, and our annual Harvest Dinner, volunteers, students, families, and school staff continue to build community around growing healthy food and minds. Finally, this summer we plan to launch our newest program, the GHP Youth Internship Program, which will be a paid employment opportunity for high school students, focused on running an urban farm and market stand, along with developing healthy living, career preparedness and citizenship skills.
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