Holden Gardens gets National Grant

The at was awarded a $2,000 grant from the Whole Kids Foundation, founded by Whole Foods Market. 

The Whole Kids Foundation, founded by Whole Foods Market, received an overwhelming number of applications from across the nation for the grant. Just 1,000 projects out of 3,000 applicants will be funded.

The Whole Kids Foundation School Garden Grant Program offers grants to individuals and organizations ready to build, expand or renew their own school garden. The mission of Whole Kids Foundation is to “support schools and inspire families to improve children's nutrition and wellness.” 

With this goal in mind, the grant was written by garden volunteer Lynn Gregor with help from Holden Elementary Principal Julie Troman. In its third year, Holden’s garden has expanded to provide a garden plot for each grade. 

Each teacher at Holden chose a garden theme to tie into their curriculum, such as a Kent history garden, a salsa garden and a Three Sisters Native American garden. The grant from Whole Kids will provide support for teachers to further incorporate the garden into their curriculum; equipment that will make it easier for students to enjoy fresh garden produce; and materials that will give students greater access to the garden, such as benches and tools for measuring and observing.