Round Rock ISD campuses to expand gardens with grant assistance

Round Rock ISD's Opportunity Center and Wells Branch Elementary School received a $2,000 grant from a Whole Foods foundation to expand their gardens, the district announced April 7.

Wells Branch will use the funding to create more garden beds, install a vertical edible garden to save landscape space and purchase rainwater collection barrels. RROC, one of the district's alternative education campuses, will use the funding to purchase materials for additional vegetable and fruit beds for crops.

"This grant will allow us to enhance the garden and formalize our community service opportunities," said Round Rock Opportunity Center Teacher David Baceski in a news release. "We want to make this garden as self-sustaining as possible."

Whole Kids Foundation will host a garden party to celebrate the donation at Wells Branch Elementary's spring festival from 2–6 p.m. April 12. The event features children's activities, cooking demonstrations and food samples from chefs at Whole Foods Market and takes place in the courtyard of the school garden.

The foundation is a nonprofit that aims to help children eat healthier, including increasing access to nutritious foods. The nonprofit's efforts include providing schools with salad bars, grant funding for school gardens and offering cooking and nutrition education for school staff.

Wells Branch also recently received a $10,000 grant from the General Mills and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics foundations to help fund additional rainwater collection barrels, garden beds, gym equipment and more.