Pikeville High School wins PRIDE award for its garden
May 10, 2013 by clackey
Members of the Pikeville High School Panther PRIDE Club accepted the PRIDE Environmental Education Project of the Month Award for their school garden. Kelly Scott, the club sponsor, is in the back left.
Pikeville High School earned the PRIDE Environmental Education Project of the Month Award for its school garden.
“Gardening is a practical way to eat well and save money on groceries, so this project is building skills that students can use at home now and throughout their lives,” said PRIDE’s Mark Davis. “Gardening also fosters good environmental stewardship because it reminds us that we depend on nature and our actions affect it.”
“I want to thank Ms. Kelly Scott and her students in the PRIDE Club for launching the garden,” Davis said. “Starting a greenhouse and garden from scratch is very hard work, but this group has persevered. They have made their dream a reality.”
Davis presented the award on Monday to PHS students who are members of the school’s Panther PRIDE Club, which explores nature and performs community service.
“The PRIDE Club members had a goal at the beginning of the school year to do something that will make a difference in the entire school,” said Ms. Scott, who sponsors the PRIDE Club, in addition to teaching Biology, AP Biology and AP Environmental Science.
“With the change in school lunches this year, we were inspired to find grant money and to raise money with the ultimate goal of purchasing a greenhouse, installing raised bed gardens and growing salad vegetables for the cafeteria,” Ms. Scott continued.
She explained that new federal guidelines for school lunches now encourage more wholesome foods, including fruits and vegetables.
“By doing this, we are teaching students and staff to grow their own food so they can be more self-sustaining and reliant, and we are encouraging others to eat healthier,” Ms. Scott added.
Ms. Scott said the garden project began in September. By the end of April, students were growing plants in the school’s greenhouse, and two of four raised bed gardens were ready to receive transplants.
More than 100 students in grades 7-12 participate in the garden project.
Support has been given by Suzanne Stumbo, who is with the Cooperative Extension Service, and Sean Cochran, who is the City of Pikeville PRIDE Coordinator.
The Southeast Chamber of Commerce awarded an education grant to the school to help pay for the project.
Other environmental activities at PHS include 30 students volunteering to clean up behind Texas Roadhouse and Walmart on April 6. Also, PHS is the only high school in the state to become certified as a Kentucky Green and Healthy School.
The PRIDE Environmental Education Project of the Month Award rewards creative, effective ways of promoting environmental awareness and stewardship. PRIDE presents one award each month to a school within 42 counties of southern and eastern Kentucky. PRIDE is a nonprofit organization that encourages personal responsibility for the region’s environment.
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