Grantee: Van Meter Community School District – Van Meter, Iowa
Grant Type: Pollination ecoSTEM Kit
Description:
“The Pollination ecoSTEM Kit allowed us to get outside of the classroom and make something that will hopefully be around for years to come. The milkweed that we planted will be able to support monarchs in our community.”
– Tracy Ferguson, 2nd Grade Teacher
The 2nd grade students of Van Meter Community School in Van Meter, Iowa were able to design and build a garden with the use of a Pollination ecoSTEM Kit. The students monitored and documented the life cycle of 5 caterpillars and after 27 days they released them into the schoolyard garden. The Milkweed they planted created the perfect home to support the butterflies.
“My students loved all of the tools that were in the kit. They designed our garden and LOVED their time working on it. This will be a time in second grade that they will remember forever.”
– Tracy Ferguson, 2nd Grade Teacher
Project Expedition: For educators that are already using gardens as a platform for digging into standards through project-based learning, we consider Pollinator Quest on the Project Hero platform a must haves for your instructional toolbox. This Quests offer pathways for teachers and students to engage with their gardens and other outdoor spaces through meaningful and relevant projects.
There are small grant opportunity related to each registered Quest, providing funds to help support the implementation of associated projects. And it is free and available for everyone.