Peiffer Elementary students work to help build the new community garden where the old tennis courts once stood.
A Healthy Schools grant and a garden forum at Jeffco’s Ed Center spurred an idea for how to solve a decades old problem at Peiffer Elementary School in Littleton.
The tennis courts were an eyesore and had fallen into disrepair after 30 years. Previous attempts to have them removed were unsuccessful.
Last year, Peiffer was working with the H.O.N.E.Y. Project, a group dedicated to providing hands-on nutrition education for youth. They introduced the children to healthy foods like fruits and vegetables and started educating them around good food choices, health, and overall wellness. The students were excited about the lessons and the foods they were experiencing.
“It was amazing,” said Donnelle Foster, Peiffer’s financial secretary.
After the garden forum, Peiffer staff decided the solution to the tennis court problem was to turn it into a community garden.
Enter Feeding Many. Founder Dr. Shirl Smiths works with churches, community centers, and schools in order to “provide sustainable, local production of fruits and vegetables for each community.” She agreed that a community garden was the answer for Peiffer.
Smith coordinated the project. General Shale, Home Depot, and Lowes donated all the needed materials and since Peiffer was on the list for upgrades, leftover 2012 bond dollars were used to take up the old tennis courts and repair/replace the chain link fence surround. On Friday, October 14, the community garden began to take shape.
Cement blocks that surround the garden beds were primed and will be painted by the students throughout this school year. Eventually, a the garden will house a butterfly bed, fruit trees, and native grasses. Most exciting for principal Molly Toher is the 24 x 24 feet. canopy that will serve as the learning center for the students. Units taught in the classroom now will have a true connection to the garden.
“I love [the building of the garden], but the best thing is students having real life problems to solve,” said Toher.