In October 2008, a group of adults started working on Mercer Island to develop a children's garden. The team leader was Gordon Polson and his vision was to find a place on the island for children to participate in gardening while learning about nutrition and how food grows. The group explored several locations and talked with other groups in the community that were already working with youth on garden projects.
In November, the group located three garden boxes at Lakeridge Elementary that were weedy and in need of care. Two were started years ago by a kindergarten teacher, but were no longer maintained by a class. The third box was built more recently and was used as part of the "Science Friday" program that is popular at the school. The program runs during recess and introduces students to a variety of science topics. Through conversations with PTA president Leslie Moore and principal Ralph Allen, an idea grew that the two organizations could become partners. Discussions continued over the winter.
In October 2008, a group of adults started working on Mercer Island to develop a children's garden. The team leader was Gordon Polson and his vision was to find a place on the island for children to participate in gardening while learning about nutrition and how food grows. The group explored several locations and talked with other groups in the community that were already working with youth on garden projects.
In November, the group located three garden boxes at Lakeridge Elementary that were weedy and in need of care. Two were started years ago by a kindergarten teacher, but were no longer maintained by a class. The third box was built more recently and was used as part of the "Science Friday" program that is popular at the school. The program runs during recess and introduces students to a variety of science topics. Through conversations with PTA president Leslie Moore and principal Ralph Allen, an idea grew that the two organizations could become partners. Discussions continued over the winter.
