PS 214 Plants American Heart Association Teaching Garden

PS 214 – The Cadwallader Colden School had their second season Plant Day Celebration with an Zurich sponsored American Heart Association Teaching Garden as part of an education initiative to help build healthy bodies and minds. The Plant Day Celebration was held on Monday, May 12th and included aerating soil and garden safety lesson, transplanting seedling and other lessons.

The PS 214 Teaching Garden was created using American Heart Association science and nutrition guidelines coupled with information from gardening and education experts. The program combines nutrition education with garden based learning. It is a real-life laboratory where students learn how to plant seeds, nurture growing plants, harvest produce and ultimately understand the value of good eating habits.

Numerous studies have shown that participation in school garden programs can have a positive impact on student’s attitudes toward fruits and vegetables. PS 214 staff and students are excited to cultivate healthy kids, who have proven to perform higher.

“We’re so excited to participate in this new initiative to get kids involved in growing and eating healthier foods,” said Principal Denise Fuccillo.

The program is designed to encourage healthy diets in young children and to help combat childhood obesity, which has reached epidemic proportions. Today, nearly one in three children and adolescents in the U.S. is overweight or obese.

Some experts predict, today’s children are not expected to live as long as their parents – the first time ever for an entire generation’s life expectancy to drop. Currently, less than 1% of the population, and almost NO CHILDREN in the United States ages 5-19, have ideal health as it relates to the Healthy Diet Score.

“The Teaching Garden program curriculum challenges students to make small changes, including healthier food choices, to improve their health,” said Gesselle Carradero, Director of Community Relations for the American Heart Association “The goal is to make healthy foods fun, and provide opportunities for children to try and enjoy healthy foods. We hope this leads to lifelong healthy habits.”

For more information on getting a Teaching Garden in your school, contact the American Heart Association at 212-878-5948PS 214 Plants American Heart Association Teaching Garden or visit online at www.heart.org/teachinggarden.

Image

One thought on “PS 214 Plants American Heart Association Teaching Garden

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *