The garden and bird houses, located next to Miller’s ground level classroom on the high school’s eastern side, will benefit through more resources while students will gain through an expanded agricultural lesson strategy, he said of the free funding.
The $3,500 grant from the national Whole Kids Garden Grant, a part of the Whole Foods Market Foundation, saw more than 1,000 applications with Miller’s garden project among dozens of school winners in the United States and Canada.
“This grant is very important to us because it allows us to create some sustainable garden projects that will be used for years to come,” said Miller.
Through building, planting of elevated gardens during the school year’s warmer fall and springs, students have the opportunity to experience hands-on agricultural learning along with other skills.
“Students are gaining confidence, problem-solving skills, and an understanding of the value of growing their own food and caring for something that directly sustains them,” said Miller.
Miller said the grant will be used for essential supplies including garden tools, seeds, soil and lumber to help grow the program. His goal is to equip students with employability skills and hands-on experiences that last a lifetime—from construction and gardening to raising animals and using tools and safety equipment properly.
Students are putting those skills to work by building garden beds, birdhouses, and bat houses while learning about sustainability and responsibility in agriculture on both small and large scales, he said.
According to the foundation’s website, the grants are designed to help learning inside the classroom through various instructional lesson tie-ins.
“Through our Garden Grant program, schools turn outdoor spaces into powerful hands-on learning gardens that connect kids with food, spark their curiosity and support classroom curriculum,” state foundation officials.
Middletown Schools Superintendent Deborah Houser praised Miller’s program, saying it brings a vital part of the natural world to city school students who may not otherwise have first-hand exposure to agriculture.
“Watching our agriculture program come to life under Mr. Miller’s leadership has been truly inspiring,” said Houser.
“And building a garden from the ground up to harvesting food, raising rabbits, creating a pond, visiting working farms, and so much more; students are learning by doing and loving every minute of it.”
“The agriculture pathway once drew little student interest due to lack of awareness. Now, it is one of our students’ favorite pathways, opening doors to real-world careers and possibilities. Mr. Miller has planted seeds of curiosity and purpose in our students through his passion for teaching.”
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