Impact

Natalie is a student in our sixth-grade program. Although Global Gardens is a place students sign up for on their own accord, not every student is happy to be there every day, particularly in Middle School. This semester Natalie was a student that needed some extra encouragement. After displaying a poor attitude on multiple occasions she told Mr. Symon, her Global Gardens teacher, that all she liked doing was watching Netflix and the only reason she was in Global Gardens was that she wanted to be with her friend.

“I understand how Netflix can be a great escape from life, especially when it’s hard, but Global Gardens is a place we don’t need to put up walls. We are creating a better place here than one we often experience outside of the gardens,” explained Mr. Symon.

The desire to escape struck a chord with Natalie and the rest of the day she was helpful. At the end of the day, Mr. Symon noticed her making a recipe list of the meal the students had made together that day. (English muffin veggie pizzas!)

Outcome

“Natalie Grace made dinner tonight. It was very good. Thank you so much for teaching them that meals don’t magically appear. Here are the pics. Thank you for inspiring and teaching.” – Andrea, Natalie’s Mom.

Natalie made a meal with the skills she learned at Global Gardens but more than that Natalie was empowered to take initiative and do something that required a lot more than pushing play on her favorite Netflix show. Natalie we are so proud of you and can’t wait to see what you do next.