Interested in helping with the garden? Please contact Theresa Nuber (theresanuber@yahoo.com).
The Steele Garden is one of the many terrific programs offered to the Steele Community through the PTA. Established many years ago through a partnership with Slow Food it continues to be cultivated by volunteers and community partners such as SustainEd, a local non-profit supporting school gardens. Reach out to Theresa Nuber (theresanuber@yahoo.com) to get involved or check out our many volunteer opportunities on the Membership Toolkit. We need and appreciate volunteers of all levels of gardening experience!
The Garden Committee is committed to creating and maintaining an open, welcoming space for the entire community to learn in and enjoy. We follow all DPS Covid safety protocols and ask that everyone use common sense and compassion as we navigate these difficult times. Please participate at your comfort level and respect that others’ level may be different than yours.The Garden Committee is committed to creating and maintaining an open, welcoming space for the entire community to learn in and enjoy. We follow all DPS Covid safety protocols and ask that everyone use common sense and compassion as we navigate these difficult times. Please participate at your comfort level and respect that others’ level may be different than yours.
The Garden Committee is committed to creating and maintaining an open, welcoming space for the entire community to learn in and enjoy. We follow all DPS Covid safety protocols and ask that everyone use common sense and compassion as we navigate these difficult times. Please participate at your comfort level and respect that others’ level may be different than yours.
These are some of the amazing programs run by the Garden Committee:
Members of the YFM Committee will work with students to design, market and run the YFMs. Markets are typically on Friday after school, starting in late August and running through mid-October. Students harvest fresh produce and flowers grown in our garden to sell in the market. Funds generated by the YFM go to support Steele School Garden programs.
Each Spring we ask Families to ADOPT-A-BED! Over the summer families tend the garden beds and enjoy the harvest. The remaining produce is picked by our community partners and distributed to local food pantries where needed. The commitment is about 1 hour every week and we host socials as allowed.
The Garden Committee helps students to harvest ready-to-eat produce from the gardens and then will work with the kitchen staff to use the fresh produce in the school cafeteria.
Curriculum Integration (CI) works with teachers to develop lesson plans that will ensure more time in the Steele School Garden for their students. Increasing students’ “food literacy” by exposing them to the garden process from seedlings to table (plant seedlings, transplant, weeding, watering, harvesting, cafeteria, and farmer’s market) is the core of the garden program. The CI program teaches children the importance of working together toward a common goal and expands the exposure of children to a healthy way of eating, in turn hoping to increase their daily intake of fruits and vegetables.
CI works individually with teachers to help integrate current DPS lessons and the Steele Garden. All lesson plans will be aligned with Colorado state standards, Common Core standards, AND DPS curriculum.
Programs and events designed to share the joys and challenges of urban gardening. We will encourage explorations of food literacy, environmentalism, composting and water conservation. Classes include cooking, planting, cultivating, medicinal plant discovery, composting, natural dyeing and a whole range of outside activities and crafts. Some classes are taught by parent volunteers and others through community partners like Slow Food – Seed to Table, SustainEd and others.
After School Program run by Parent Volunteers giving kids and opportunity to learn and play in the garden. Each day will have an activity and a craft. All proceeds support the Garden.