Learning the value of sustainability, 20 Rancho Santa Gertrudes Elementary School fifth- and sixth-grade students enrolled in a THINK Together afterschool program and took their first steps toward planting a potato garden on Aug. 25.
By planting the garden, the Rancho students are helping La Serna High School freshman Anthony Otero fulfill the public service requirement he needs to become an Eagle Scout. Otero built and donated three garden boxes to Rancho Santa Gertrudes, also contributing gardening supplies and notebooks for the students to track the progress of their potatoes throughout the 14-week growing season. Otero raised $1,200 for the project through cash donations and a GoFundMe page.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for our students to receive a hands-on lesson in science, and be introduced to such concepts as botany, renewable energy and sustainable foods,” Rancho Santa Gertrudes Principal Octavio Perez said. “We greatly appreciate Anthony’s initiative and willingness to be a mentor to our students.”
Otero has been a member of the Boy Scouts of America Troop 438 for 3 years, and credits the motion picture “The Martian” with inspiring his service project – growing sustainable potatoes is central to Matt Damon’s astronaut character’s survival.
“I wanted to teach my younger brother Adrian about sustainability, and then I realized that I could turn this into a project that had a benefit to my community,” Otero said. “I contacted Mr. Perez and told him about my plan, and he pledged his support. It feels really good to be able to connect with the students. They are having a lot of fun with this.”
Rancho Santa Gertrudes sixth-grader Estefany Garcia is excited about watching the potatoes develop over the course of the fall semester. Garcia already has a love for science and technology.
“I like to look at the planets and wonder where they came from,” Garcia said. “I want to do more science in class and study science in college.”
THINK Together is an afterschool program that works with Los Nietos School District, and uses an After School Education and Safety (ASES) grant to promote science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects.
“This is an important step for the kids,” THINK Together site coordinator Maria Cuevas said. “They learn a love of science and are acquiring the skills necessary to start their own gardens at home.”
Los Nietos recently launched a districtwide health initiative that features nutrition lessons for all students and a school-provided lunch menu that aims to replace processed food with fresh ingredients like kale and spinach. Last year, Los Nietos introduced a Harvest of the Month program that educates students on a new fruit or vegetable every month.
“Anthony Otero’s service project for the Boy Scouts corresponds perfectly with the Los Nietos mission to promote healthy living,” LNSD Superintendent Jonathan Vasquez said. “It also gives our students a chance to learn the benefits of civic engagement, and giving back to your community. Thank you to Anthony and THINK Together for helping bring this special program to Los Nietos.”