Cox Enterprises announced today that it donated 22 Project Learning Gardens to elementary schools in metro Atlanta, Georgia, Phoenix, Arizona, San Diego and Orange County, California. These donations are part of a comprehensive partnership with the Captain Planet Foundation. Cox has supported the Captain Planet Foundation for many years and has recently focused on Project Learning Garden (PLG) as a seed funder of the Rejuvenation Grant Program in 2022 and this current initiative. The schools, located in markets served by Cox Enterprises and its subsidiary Cox Communications, applied for Project Learning Garden through an online grant contest last winter.
Project Learning Gardens comprise easy-to-assemble raised garden beds, soil, and seeds. Schools also receive supplies and tools to take learning into the garden. Educators are given thematic activities centered in standards and learning outcomes. A library of garden guides and tips for growing, harvesting, composting, cooking with kids, and more is also part of the garden. Schools with learning gardens report that students benefit from learning about nutrition and science, along with social studies, math and language arts. They have the opportunity to expand their palates, taste-test healthy foods and learn about the origins of what they grow.
The schools awarded Project Learning Gardens are listed below:
“Project Learning Garden is a great fit for Cox as we aim to empower 34 million people to live more prosperous lives by 2034,” stated Maury Wolfe, vice president, of Corporate Responsibility & Social Impact at Cox Enterprises. “Cox is dedicated to making a positive impact in the communities that we serve. Project Learning Garden makes a huge impact for kids at their schools; inspiring them with a direct connection to nature, environmental education and healthy living.”
Leesa Carter-Jones, President & CEO of the Captain Planet Foundation, added, “We are thrilled with Cox Enterprises’ commitment to Project Learning Garden.” She continued, “Anything can be taught in the context of the garden, and this hands-on learning helps students understand how to grow food and eat more healthily. A connection to nature and an increased consumption of fresh & healthy foods both stand at the center of Captain Planet Foundation’s mission to engage and empower young people to be problem solvers for the planet.”
About Cox Enterprises
Cox Enterprises is dedicated to empowering people to build a better future for the next generation. Cox is a leader in the broadband, automotive and media industries, while strategically investing in emerging technologies driving the future of cleantech, health care, and public sector services. Its major operating subsidiaries are Cox Communications and Cox Automotive, which includes brands like Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Cox is a global company with $22 billion in annual revenues and a proud 125-year history. To learn more about Cox and its commitment to its people, planet and communities, visit coxenterprises.com.
About Captain Planet Foundation (CPF)
Based on the critically-acclaimed animated series Captain Planet and the Planeteers, CPF was cofounded in 1991 by media mogul Ted Turner and series executive producer Barbara Pyle as a corporate foundation of TBS. In 2002, Captain Planet Foundation separated from TBS and became a 501(c)3 public charity, with the mission to work collaboratively to engage and empower young people to be problem solvers for the planet. CPF executes its mission both as a program operator and as a grant-maker. Over the past 31 years, more than 1.7 million children have directly participated in CPF’s programs, which have funded 3,600+ projects, impacting 11.4 million young people around the globe. CPF’s operating programs include: Project Learning Garden which has provided 675+ U.S. elementary schools with onsite learning laboratories and healthy food access; Project Hero which is a nationwide, web-based learning platform for K-12 students to save locally threatened and endangered species & ecosystems; and Planeteer Alliance, a global network of young people who are putting their passion and impatience for change into climate ACTION for the planet.