High Country Local First Grant Awarded to Cove Creek School

Written by Luci Hancock, BRWIA AmeriCorps VISTA

Cove Creek was recently awarded a HCLF and Lettuce Learn grant. The grant will be used to hold a garden-based professional development workshop for five teachers at the school. The goal of the professional development will be to provide teachers with the tools they need to incorporate the garden into their classes.

Currently, Cove Creek School has 14 raised beds, a greenhouse, several pollinator gardens and birdhouses, and an observational bee hive. The hive is located in the school library and is used for educational purposes. The gardens are primarily cared for by Cove Creek's after-school Eco-Raiders program. One class has a vermiculture bin, and the school is currently in the process of creating a composting and recycling program in their cafeteria. They are also raising money with the intent of powering their greenhouse will solar panels in the future. CCS also recently purchased two seed starting sets which are utilized in first grade classrooms. 

High Country Local First ​​

For every Local First Rewards Card sold, High Country Local First donates $5 to support local school garden programs in Watauga and Ashe Counties. This grant cycle, Lettuce Learn and HCLF awarded three schools with grants to build or expand upon their garden-based educational programming.