A compilation of the school garden projects that were completed during my year-of-service.

2. Andrew Foy
AmeriCorps VISTA
Youth & Food Program Coordinator
Designer & Project Manager:
Served through: School Partners:
‘Ele’ele Elementary School
St. Theresa Catholic School
Kalaheo Elementary School

3. Eleele Special Education
Preschool Garden
ʻEleʻele Elementary School
ʻEleʻele, Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi
PAGES 1-2
St. Theresa School
Garden
St. Theresa Catholic School
Kekaha, Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi
PAGES 3-4
Kalaheo School
Projects
Kalaheo Elementary School
Kalāheo, Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi
PAGES 5-6: Salsa Garden
PAGES 7-9: Hawaiiana Garden
PAGES 10-11: Community
Fruitsafe

4. ʻEleʻele Elementary School, ʻEleʻele, Island of Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi
The Special Education
Preschool Garden at
ʻEleʻele Elementary School
was designed & installed
for Mrs. Ryan's special
education class. The
objective of the project
was to create a hands-on,
outdoor space that would
encourage social & motor
skill development and
teach students how to
mālama (take care of)
herbs, vegetables, flowers,
succulents, and native
Hawaiian plants.
BEFORE
AFTER
Mrs. Ryan and her students planting arugula, Swiss chard, basil, and kale in their keiki
(child) sized raised beds.

5. ❖ $960 in grant funding and $375 of in-kind donations were received
❖ 12 volunteers from Mrs. Ryan’s classroom community - including
teaching aids, parents, students, and other school staff - dedicated a
combined 37 volunteer hours to help complete the garden install

6. St. Theresa Catholic School, Kekaha, Island of Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi
St. Theresa Catholic School
(STS), a K-8 private Catholic
charter school, installed it’s
first-ever school garden in
May 2017. The school garden
was designed to
accommodate the ʻĀINA in
Schools curriculum, which
aims to connect students to
local land, water & food and
promote a healthier, more
sustainable Hawaiʻi. The
garden features a Hawaiian
malaʻia (garden) for native
& canoe plants, raised beds
for vegetables & herbs, and
a composting area.
Garden Plan
Proposed Site
BEFORE
AFTER
(December 2017)
Niu (coconut) was used to create border for the Hawaiian garden.
Mulch for the garden was donated by a local tree trimmer.
Raised beds were constructed to allow students to mālama
vegetables & herbs for the ʻĀINA in Schools curriculum.

7. ❖ $1,000 in grant funding and $360 of in-kind donations were received for the
garden install
❖ 26 volunteers - including teachers, students, parents, community members,
and even the school principal - worked a combined 78 volunteer hours to help
install the garden

8. Kalaheo Elementary School, Kalāheo, Island of Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi
The raised bed salsa garden project at Kalaheo Elem-
entary School was installed in collaboration with four
3rd grade classes at the school. Four raised beds were
installed so that each class had its own area to
mālama plants that would eventually be used to make
homemade salsa at the end of the school year. During
the project, students learned that salsa gardens are
good examples of companion planting, and that plants
like cilantro, parsley, chives, tomatoes, and basil grow
better together than they would on their own.
Each raised bed was fitted with automated drip irrigation for ease
of maintenance during the summer months.
Two of the four raised beds for the salsa gardens were
refurbished from a previous garden project at the school.
Locally-grown tomato, pepper, basil, chive, parsley, and cilantro
seed starts were purchased to jump-start the salsa gardens.

9. ❖ $675 in grant funds were received to purchase garden materials
❖ Over 60 students, 4 teachers, and 1 master gardener helped move compost,
soil, and plants to install the salsa garden

10. The Hawaiiana Garden at
Kalaheo Elementary School
was created to function as
an outdoor classroom for
the 4th graders during their
Hawaiian history & culture
unit. The garden features
several canoe plants (plants
brought over on canoes by
the first Polynesian voya-
gers) as well as lei (garland
or wreath with Hawaiian
cultural significance)
making plants that will be
used to make garments and
adornments for the school’s
annual May Day
performance.
Kalaheo Elementary School, Kalāheo, Island of Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi
Kī (ti) plant
ʻAwapuhi Kuahiwi
(shampoo ginger)
ʻUala (sweet potato)
ʻOlena (turmeric)
Kalo (taro)
Maiʻa (banana)
ʻIlima (flower of Oʻahu)

11. Raised beds will be used to cultivate three of the
staple Hawaiian crops: ʻuala (sweet potato), ipu
(gourd), and kalo (taro).
Native Hawaiian plants - like ʻahuʻawa (sedge),ʻIlima (official lei
flower of Oʻahu), Hawaiian hibiscus, and the medicinal shrub
māmaki (Hawaiian nettle) - are also featured in the garden.
The garden entrance features a mixture of canoe, lei-making, and
native plants, like ko (sugarcane), kī (ti), ʻawapuhi kuahiwi (shampoo
ginger), ʻolena (turmeric), and the loulu palm.
24 VOLUNTEERS,
20 4TH GRADE STUDENTS &
2 AG INTERNS
4 CUBIC YARDS OF COMPOST 35 NURSERY STARTS $2,000 OF GARDEN
TOOLS & MATERIALS
96 COCONUTS
HAWAIIANA GARDEN

12. ❖ $2,000 worth of in-kind donations were received by WorkDay, the
project’s corporate sponsor
❖ 25 WorkDay volunteers, 20 students, and 2 ag interns worked for a
combined 85 volunteer hours to help bring this garden to life

13. Kalaheo Elementary School, Kalāheo, Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi
The Kalaheo School Community Fruitsafe was constructed to serve as a
temporary, safe storage space for produce & fruit harvested on school
grounds, as well as unused produce or fruit from students’, parents’, and
staff members’ properties. The school and many of the residential
properties in Kalaheo are home to an abundance of tropical fruit trees -
including citrus, banana, papaya, mango, lychee, ʻulu (breadfruit), and
many more. However, most fruit trees on Kauaʻi bear more fruit than their
owners can actually use. The Kalaheo School Community Fruitsafe aims
to reduce this fruit waste by encouraging excess fruit to be gleaned &
shared with the Kalaheo School Community.
FRUITSAFE PLAN

14. ❖ $500 in crowdsourcing funds and $250 in in-kind donations were
received to secure lumber, roofing, hardware, and paint for the project
❖ 1 ag intern and 2 community members contributed a total of 25 volunteer
hours to help construct & paint the fruitsafe