This year, Eastside and Sunrise Alternative Programs partnered together to build, dig and plant a garden. After many years at a storefront location, Eastside staff and students were excited to finally have some space to garden. They started the year by planting fava beans to enrich the soil. During the winter, the students and staff then built cedar boxes indoors. When a big pile of dirt came from the school board, the students spent many hours shoveling, sifting and moving soil. In the spring, every student from both Alt programs planted their own mini-square foot garden. 

In June, Eastside and Sunrise invited the grade 1 class at AR Lord to plant the third box. The older students set up stations for the little ones, with the first station designed for shelling the fava beans that had grown all winter. At the second station, Eastside students challenged the elementary students to match the seed with the grown vegetable. At the third station, the grade ones chose their seeds. 

Staff say the entire garden project has been a terrific success. Click here or below to view some of the partnership's pictures.