Forwood Earns $20,000 Grant to Expand Garden & Outdoor Learning Spaces

Forwood Elementary School has become the only Delaware winner in the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation 24 School Gardens Builds in 24 Hours in 24 Communities Garden Build Contest! Forwood is one of twenty-four selected schools across the nation that were granted $20,000 to expand and upgrade our garden and outdoor learning spaces. The contest launched in April 2023 to celebrate Earth Month and following a detailed application, vetting, and planning process, we are able to expand our outdoor learning spaces and continue our partnership between Forwood Manor and other community partners.

Lead by Grade 4 Teacher Mrs. Leona Williams, a small army of volunteers including Forwood Elementary administration, staff & families, BSD School Nutrition & Facilities departments, local Sprouts volunteers, Healthy Kids for Healthy Foods partners and Forwood Manor staff, we were able to accomplish quite a bunch in a little thyme. During the week, students replanted our current garden, planted mini-gardens to grow with our Forwood Manor friends, and installed two new persimmon trees near the new playground.

On Saturday, October 21st, the sun came out just in time to shine bright on our volunteers who pitched in to build outdoor seating on our patio near the existing garden beds, gave a lot of TLC to the Sensory Garden and enjoyed a nutritious treat care of our local Sprouts grocery store. Thank you to all who lent a hand in making our vision for expanding outdoor environmental learning spaces and engaging our local community to blossom and flourish. Keep your eye on the patio this spring when a permanent shade canopy is installed and Forwood foxes are learning al fresco!