Jane Kim joined the ABC 10News team in Oct. 2024 as a news producer and multimedia journalist.
SAN DIEGO — A vibrant garden at the heart of Chollas-Mead Elementary School is giving students more than just fresh vegetables – it's providing them with a sense of belonging and accomplishment.The garden, filled with flowers, radish, kale, sunflower, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, serves as an outdoor classroom and sanctuary for 47 student gardeners who have made the space their own.
'Being a gardener, like because I garden with my grandma a lot, and like it was always my dream. I'm like, oh my god, how do people do this? Like I wanna do this one day and my dreams finally came true,' said Arielle Angulo, one of the student gardeners.Each student has placed a stone with their name painted on it throughout the garden, creating a lasting connection to the space.'Well, this is a case of belonging. It helps the kids to understand that this is a place that they belong. This is their garden, and even when these children have left this school, the rocks remains. It's a sense of identity, and some of these children at this time, they really need that,' said Caroline Grondin, executive director of Grondin Community Bridge.Grondin helped build the garden space and says it provides stability for students who may come from difficult backgrounds. The garden establishes a sense of permanence – a place of solace and peace.School leaders are committed to maintaining and expanding the garden's impact on students.'That it's the most wonderful place, and honestly, for me, I've been a nursery man for 20 years, and so for me, I see a lot of potential where the kids think it's this is the best, I wanna make it next level,' said Tom Leisse, who supports students with learning disabilities.Angulo says the garden has created lasting friendships and memories for students.'I made a lot of great friends here, and it's because that I will never forget these memories ever because it's like a memorable like dream that I accomplished,' Angulo said.The garden was built through a collaboration between nonprofits Grondin Community Bridge, Rebuilding Together San Diego and DPR Construction, thanks to a $50,000 donation.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Community Partnerships San Diego Schools Elementary Education Hands-On Learning Nonprofit Collaboration Outdoor Learning School Garden Program Student Belonging Student Engagement
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Kim You Jung Stands At The Edge Of Collapse As Kim Young Dae And Kim Do Hoon Move In Opposite Directions In “Dear X” FinaleGet ready for the final chapter of “Dear X”! Based on a webtoon, “Dear X” stars Kim You Jung as Baek Ah Jin, an A-list actress who climbs from rock bottom
Read more »
Culture of kindness helps Highland High School achieve Cool School statusCLICK HERE to reach out to Darienne with any story ideas or news tips.
Read more »
Jane Seymour Says Wedding Crashers Nude Scene Made Owen Wilson 'Nervous'Jane Seymour opened up about filming her nude scene in 'Wedding Crashers' with costar Owen Wilson and why they were 'nervous' about it
Read more »
School Tragedy Averted at Williamson High SchoolA 16-year-old student was apprehended at Williamson High School after a weapon detection system identified a handgun in his backpack. An armed School Resource Officer intervened, preventing any harm. The incident highlights the effectiveness of enhanced safety measures, including weapon detection technology, SRO presence, and a zero-tolerance policy on weapons.
Read more »
Celebrate Jane Austen's 250th Birthday with BritBox and 'Austen Forever' CollectionAnne Hathaway as Jane Austen in Becoming Jane
Read more »
Self-driving cars investigated for going around stopped school busesTexas school district sounds alarm after self-driving cars repeatedly fail to stop for school buses.
Read more »