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Students learning through a new outdoor garden

Beech Grove, Ind. (WISH) — Hornet Park Elementary School is not afraid to get their hands dirty to help their students learn.

They are doing it through their new Learning Garden.

The garden was made possible through a grant from The Kitchen Community, an educational group that builds gardens for schools.

The gardens were installed in August and serves as an outdoor classroom where students learn how to grow their own food.

“Like it’s worth it to get our hands dirty and it doesn’t matter if we get our hands dirty. It’s just really fun,” said Lanna who is in first grade.

The students planted beets, carrots, oats, along with other vegetables that they will harvest when they are ripe.

“They talk about salads and stuff. You know stuff you would think you’d hear older kids talk about. It’s all interactive so they can relate to it,” said Teacher Theresa Bennett.

Students have taken an ownership for taking care of the garden.

“They’ll come out and if they see a leaf they say should I take that leaf out and we’re like ‘yeah take the leaf

out’. They ask before they touch the plants, they like to come out here and read and just enjoy the environment,” Bennett added.

Right now there are gardens at four of the five schools in the district.