Markeshia Ricks Photo
Elecya Ward, who hadn’t worked in a garden before, eagerly named what she and fellow New Horizons students had planted in a formerly vacant lot next to the school: “Tomatoes, broccoli, spinach and onions.”
Over the course of the school year, New Horizons math teacher Ofer Holtz worked with students like Elecya to build a community garden right next door to the school. On Monday they celebrated their creation with a ribbon cutting.
Holtz (pictured at right in the photo) said he envisioned transforming the empty lot into an organic garden and vibrant “outdoor oasis” for students after he started working at the school two years ago.
When New Horizons Principal Maureen Bransfield told him that the empty lot belonged to the school, he set about gathering resources to create the garden. He found help from partners like the United Way of Greater New Haven and its Boost! Service Corps members like Brittany Groat (pictured at left).
The garden also received a grant from Whole Foods Whole Kids Program; and donations from Common Ground’s School Garden Resource Center; the New Haven Department of Parks, Recreation and Trees; the New Haven Urban Resources Initiatives; Lowe’s; and soon-to-be neighbor Jordan’s Furniture.
Superintendent Garth Harries said part of New Haven’s school change efforts have been about engaging students in learning that is “purposeful, supportive and meaningful to them.
“This reflects what is best about my day job,” he said of the garden. Harries reminded those gathered in the garden Monday that on the weekend, he is a farmer (his wife runs an organic farm), and that he knows intimately the peace that comes with working the land.
Tiffany Torres checks on the tomato plants. She works for the Food Corps, which promotes projects like this one at New Haven schools.
“When you’re doing that work it is a time for mindfulness, and a time to find that peace that is crucial to me and crucial to all of you,” he said. “It is extraordinarily important.”
Mansfield (pictured center) said without the help of partnerships, New Horizons would be just a school at Hallock Avenue and Sargent Drive. “But with partnerships we are a community,” she said. “Keep coming back so we can keep forging bigger and better partnerships.”
Holtz said the first year was about getting the garden set up and planted. Year two will be about producing food that students can eat during breakfast and lunch at least once a week. The garden will be a place where students also can eat outside and mural artists have already committed to donating their talents to create art in the garden.
“We have a big vision for the future,” he said.
Eleyca, who will graduate this week, said the garden opened up the opportunity for her not only to learn about gardening, but also to make friends with other students and members of the community she might not have otherwise met. Volunteers from Common Ground High School and the Police Academy helped out with the garden.
Though she won’t be a student at New Horizons next year, she plans to keep using what she learned through the project. “I plan to turn my backyard into something amazing,” she said.
