Dena Smith

The Green Thumb Initiative

Robinson Elementary would like to propose the idea of a year-round gardening initiative we have dubbed the Green Thumb Initiative that would allow students to gain skills that are beneficial in school and beyond. For a couple of years, our physical education/character/health education teacher has had a small garden on the school grounds where tomatoes and strawberries are grown. Students always take great interest in these plants – both caring for them as well as enjoying them once they are ready to be eaten. This sparked the idea of having a year-round greenhouse available to our students to grow herbs, vegetables and seasonal flowers for special occasions and for the enjoyment of the student body. Many of our students are tactile, hands-on learners who learn best when they are actively involved in the process. In addition, we have several students who simply have energy galore. Work that requires sitting quietly in a seat and focusing on a lecture sometimes proves to be difficult if not impossible for these students. It is believed that the Green Thumb Initiative would give them the opportunity to be actively involved in their learning and allow them to demonstrate learning in ways that are not traditionally addressed in the classroom.