Through a STEM Mentoring Program grant from the Mystic Aquarium/Sea Research Foundation, volunteers and Southport Clubhouse kids have created a fully functioning greenhouse at the Wakeman Boys & Girls Club in Southport! The grant is funded through the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Clubhouse kids participated in the greenhouse assembly as well as the planting of seeds and seedlings. The greenhouse will be utilized year-round, with plants rotated in based on the season.
The project currently features an extensive range of vegetables and herbs, including pumpkins, corn, brussels sprouts, tomatoes, basil, and mint among many others. The goal is to for program participants to use these ingredients to prepare a meal this fall. Later this year, participants will plant sweet potatoes, onions and beets.
The physical structure of 195 square feet includes four solar-powered fans and an entrance floor fabricated from reclaimed thirty-year-old Warren Gymnasium floorboards.
The project aligns with Wakeman Boys & Girls Club’s core values of Academic Success and Healthy Lifestyles, providing STEM engagement for kids K-12.
“Over the last three years, our kids have helped to plant over 800 plants on our Southport campus, including pollinators, herbs, and our sensory gardens,” explained Executive Director Tim Cepetelli. “This greenhouse project is like an outdoor classroom, providing even more opportunities for our youth to learn about urban agriculture, solar energy, the water cycle, and the scientific method.”
“It’s a way for kids to find connection to themselves, as well as to nature,” Cepetelli added while guiding visitors through the greenhouse with Janice Mayeran, the Club’s summer greenhouse staff and a retired physical education and health teacher. “Whether kids have access to other gardens at home or at school, or this is the first opportunity they’ve had to engage with gardens in this way, many studies have shown getting your hands dirty can help with stress reduction along with positive impacts on mental and physical health,” he added.
Soil for the project was donated by We Care Denali, LLC of Fairfield, and a grant from GroMoreGood ™ helped to fund the initial start-up costs of outfitting the greenhouse’s interior. The greenhouse project was also partially funded by the After School Program and Summer Camp STEM budgets. Mary Hogue of Sustainable Fairfield has lent considerable guidance throughout the Southport campus’ three year green evolution, including the greenhouse’s creation.
The Club welcomes donations of quality tools, pots, wheelbarrows and other gardening supplies to further the greenhouse’s growth and impact for local kids.
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