The Gifford Youth Activity Center promotes opportunities and programs that foster student achievement: the 24,000 square foot facility boasts computer labs, classroom space, an indoor gym, and outdoor aquatics center.
The GYAC philosophy is holistic, yet simple: an engaged, productive child will likely become an engaging, productive adult. To this end, they’ve partnered with local organizations willing to share life-enhancing, vocational skills with the youth community; for our group that meant building and maintaining a community garden:
John Beukers, (a fellow Indian River County MG) has been the driving force behind the garden since its 2006 installation. Every Friday finds him working alongside the Student Gardening Club, teaching the logistics of planting…..and importance of weeding. 😉 This is one meticulously maintained piece of land! 🙂
In this “Knowing Growing Garden” the students have learned about alternative energy (note the solar panel, bottom right, and portable fuel cell storage box beneath the arbor.). They’ve worked with clay to design and decorate the pavers; they’ve received an intro to hydroponics via a center pond of homegrown water lilies.
Before any seeds were sown, the kids painted their vegetable beds in bright and cheery colors: 🙂
Then it was down to business, planting cabbages and onions:
….eggplant.
……exotic Daikon Radish greens:
….tomatoes
….and broccoli
Beautiful yields, yeah? These kids have every reason to be proud of their accomplishment!
But wait….there’s more!
This wonderful teaching space is also an official Weather Station! (Due to the angle of the sun and the terrible fog that day, I was unable to shoot the equipment in any way worth sharing. :()
To see the real-time forecast, check out the website in the picture,! ..pretty cool!
Until next time……
🙂 🙂 🙂
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15 thoughts on “Gifford Community and Student Garden, 12/11/12”
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small house/BIG GARDEN 
that’s an amazing thing for children!
It is, Esty! The MGs who’ve worked with the kids there say you can’t believe how excited and proud they feel re: their crops. It definitely IS a good esteem builder AND a valuable life skill for their later years.
Thank you so much for a beautiful pictures.Truly Awesome!Very nice a flowers and nice colors.
🙂
You’re welcome!
Wonderful, these young people will always value their experience there.
Oh for sure. 🙂 The benefits of everything they’re learning there will follow them well into adulthood. The Gifford area of town here, is home to many people who face social and economic hardship. The center/ garden are a very positive force in the lives of these kids.
Soooo wonderful !!!!
isn’t it? It’s so good to see positive things in a section of town where people can benefit from it most.
I love this idea! Also, they did a wonderful job on painting the raised beds. What a happy splash of color!
When I saw the painted beds I had that same reaction. It was the kids’ idea to paint them, too! 🙂
Wow, this all looks so organised!
That was my EXACT comment the first time I saw the garden. The Master Gardener responsible for the overall project is an engineer by profession and it shows!
That is one amazing community activity. The rich variation of plants are just wonderful. The pond is my favorite. Zen-like!
What these kids are learning there is just fantastic! I came to gardening very late in comparison…I can only imagine how much I’d know today had I begun in grammar school!