“Green Thumbs to a Greener Earth” – an extraordinary $10,000 grant awarded to Cashman Elementary teacher Leslie Barnaby at the 3rd Annual Wine & Beer Tasting in September of 2008. With funds from the AEFI grant, Cashman revitalized and repaired the deteriorated school greenhouse. Through the project, Cashman children have the opportunity to plant, water, nourish and observe the plant cycle. They plant the seeds and watch them grow from seedlings in the school greenhouse into adult plants in the schoolyard. They learn firsthand about composting by collecting cafeteria scraps for the outdoor compost bins and through worm composting in the classroom.
With flower planting and seedlings in the greenhouse, they are providing vegetables and plants for window boxes for the elderly at Powow Villa. They are also learning firsthand the nurtritional benefits of vegetables through a salsa garden which they share with all the students on Nachos Day in the cafeteria! In the future, they hope to install solar panels in the greenhouse to help generate the power for the grow lights in the greenhouse,
