UPS Donates $10,000 To Help Woodland Students Build Food Garden

Atlanta-based UPS this month donated $10,000 to Woodland Elementary School to boost their efforts to build a sustainable food garden.

Along with providing providing the startup funds, UPS has committed volunteer support on an ongoing basis to help ensure the longevity of the garden, the company said in its press release.

The project will be named the UPS Gardens at Woodland Elementary. The volunteer hours will become part of UPS’s pledge to reach 20 million hours of global volunteerism and community service by the end of 2020.

Woodland Elementary on Wednesday hosted a dedication ceremony that included Principal Amy Gamble, students, faculty and community members. Rhonda Clark, UPS chief sustainability officer, represented the company.

“I am so pleased by the development of the new partnership between UPS and Woodland Elementary,” Gamble said. “The addition of terraced gardens will turn a previously unused outdoor space into an active learning lab for our students. This is an exciting time for the staff and students of Woodland, and we appreciate the generosity of UPS.”

The UPS Gardens will feature food plants only, providing fresh fare to families of students in need and to a local food bank. The project will also provide hands-on experience for the students and will become a part of the Woodland Elementary STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) program, an educational initiative that subscribes to the concept of interdisciplinary learning.

In this way, the UPS Gardens will enrich the daily curriculum of the art and other science programs by allowing the students to create outdoor art, read in the garden and explore the science of growing food.

To accommodate students with disabilities, the garden will include raised beds allowing every student the opportunity of working in and learning from the UPS Gardens. Other features include ground planting beds, composting and hydroponics.

“One of our key objectives in creating the UPS Gardens is to foster learning and support well-being among the students and families of Woodland Elementary and the surrounding community,” Clark said. “We also wanted a project that would build pride and participation among UPS corporate employees, allowing us to give back to our local community of Sandy Springs.”

Photo 1: Rhonda Clark of UPS (left) and Woodland Elementary School Principal Amy Gamble break ground on the sustainable food garden as students watch.

Photo 2: Clark and Gamble with Woodland Elementary students.

Photo 3: Clark and Gamble with photo featuring framed blueprint of garden.

Credits: UPS