San Tan Charter School in Gilbert recently was awarded a $9,500 grant from the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation.

The grant money will be used to make a number of improvements to the school’s two garden areas, which currently include five in-ground garden beds and 15 large, raised beds, as well as space for the school’s goats and chickens, Montessori adolescent teacher Megan Hubbard said.

“We will use the grant money to set up all of our beds with soil and an irrigation system," Hubbard said, adding that all of the Montessori students at San Tan Charter school, from kindergarteners through eighth graders, have access to the garden. "We will also set up a rainwater collection and a graywater washing station, as well as a new composting system to use in each classroom,”

The students grow a variety of plants in the garden, Hubbard said, including flowers, root vegetables and vines.

“The students in the adolescent class are the garden caretakers, and they give lessons to the younger kids on things like garden care and how to grow plants,” Hubbard said.

In addition to the improvements to the infrastructure of the outdoor spaces, San Tan Charter School Principal Katie Cox said the grant money will be used to enhance the students’ experiences in the garden. 

“Funds will go toward purchasing durable outdoor seating, allowing students to collaborate and engage in garden-based lessons comfortably,” Cox said.

“We will also invest in gardening tools such as shovels, rakes, gloves, and wheelbarrows to ensure that students can participate fully in maintaining the garden. Additionally, we will set up worm composting units and integrate composting into daily lessons with classroom buckets, teaching students about sustainability and waste reduction.”

The grant money will also be used to purchase seedlings, saplings, and garden-related curriculum books, and provide students with cooking demonstrations to reinforce lessons on nutrition and food preparation.

“This comprehensive approach ensures that our students not only learn the science of gardening but also the importance of sustainable living and healthy eating,” Cox said.

Learning that San Tan Charter School was selected as a recipient for the grant money was an exciting moment for Hubbard and her students.

“We were so excited," she said. "The students knew how long I had worked on the grant, and they were cheering when Cox made the announcement.

“To have the privilege to make bigger and more permanent changes to the garden is huge, and it will have a positive effect on students for years to come. I am thrilled to be able to help guide our students in this new garden adventure.”

Spending time in the school’s garden is a highlight of the day for many students at San Tan Charter School.

As Hubbard has observed, getting the chance to be outside in nature during the school day can help students to regulate themselves when they need a break, and they all enjoy watching as plants thrive under their care.

“I like the process of seeing all of the plants grow, and get bigger and turn into things that we can sell,” said eighth grader Rhys Henning-Head. “I like to grow peas, and the flowers were really cool to take care of, kale was good, and the pumpkin vine."

Eighth grader Mackenzie Heckart agreed that pumpkins are especially rewarding to plant.

“I really like growing pumpkins because they grow really, really fast, and I like the freedom to do stuff in the garden and hang out with our animals," she said. "I enjoy the quietness and the smell of all the plants."

Seventh grader Ashlyn Robinson said, “My favorite thing to grow is the peas, because they got big and we got to harvest them ourselves.” 

She added that she also enjoys hanging out with the chickens and goats.

“I'm so proud of Mrs. Hubbard and her students and their work around the Outdoor Environment,” Cox said.

“They take care of it for all the students in the Montessori program here at San Tan. It felt great to know they were getting the recognition and award that is so well deserved.”