The Amherst School Garden Program has been honored with the UMass 2024 Distinguished Community Partner Award. This award celebrates organizations that work in close collaboration with UMass Amherst, fostering partnerships that advance community well-being.
The Amherst Elementary School Garden Program, led by Jennifer Reese and Leila Tunnell, utilizes the power of garden-based learning to inspire joy and promote a more sustainable world. Through partnerships with local organizations like Brookfield Farm, UMass Amherst, and Amherst College, the program provides year-round garden-based education to all K-6 students, integrating hands-on learning with the Massachusetts STE Frameworks. Students engage in activities such as planting, exploring nature, and reflecting on food and culture. Supported by district funds, grants, and donations, the program thrives on community involvement and continues to enrich students’ educational experiences.
“I am moved by this recognition, which underscores the impact of the partnership we’ve been able to build with Sarah Berquist and the Sustainable Food and Farming Program at UMass. Strengthening community networks and supporting learning across ages and spaces are important guideposts in our school garden work. We are so grateful for the opportunity, through our garden-based learning internship, to work and learn with UMass students who have each enriched the School Garden Program in unique ways.” said Jennifer Reese, Science & Garden Coordinator.
Leila Tunnell, Garden Educator said “The Garden Program has been tremendously bolstered over the past decade because of the support of Sarah Berquist and our wonderful interns from the UMass Sustainable Food and Farming Program. We have been able to achieve a breadth and depth of school garden work which would have been impossible without this collaboration. We are so grateful for this acknowledgment and for the recognition that community partnerships such as these are important and powerful tools in creating rich and meaningful learning for students of all ages.”
As part of this award, the Amherst School Garden Program will receive a $2,500 award, which they will use to support garden program goals.
“This recognition [by UMass Amherst] reflects our commitment to student-centered learning, and the continued collaboration between our schools and the wider community,” said Superintendent Dr. Xi. She continues by saying “The Amherst School Garden Program offers our students hands-on experience in sustainability and nutrition while strengthening their connection to the community and the environment. Programs like this are vital in the development of well-rounded, informed, and engaged future adults.”