While the students learn inside the classrooms of Lakewood Elementary School, the surrounding community gathers in the backyard garden, maintaining the community pantry's produce and enhancing the children's learning environment. Lewis Scaife, the project manager, leads a team that includes Janet Lipman, Connie Winstead, Sarah Cross, and Laury Muzzie to effectively renovate and cultivate the area--fostering the growth not only of plants but also of relationships and knowledge. To increase the team's connection with the students, they plan to propose workshops on soil composting and the maintenance of greenery in the future.

I would like to thank the team, especially Lewis, for allowing me to immerse myself in their initiative. The project reminds me of my hometown in the Philippines, particularly growing up in Pampanga, where my relationship with nature was cultivated early in my life. This partnership, which evokes memories of home, will forever hold a special place in my heart.