GREEN CITY YOUTH: The Penn Alexander School

Over the past few years, under the leadership of Science teacher Rich Staniec, Penn Alexander’s Garden Club created a “schoolyard habitat” on the Locust Street side of the campus. So successful was this project that the West Philadelphia school received the 2007 Environmental Community Service Award from Wawa, NBC10 TV, and Manko, Gold, Katcher & Fox. 

Students investigated how the urban environment has changed beyond the range that many “native species” can tolerate, and researched and chose appropriate plants for the schoolyard habitat garden.
Over the last two years, the Green City Youth program provided both materials and horticultural expertise to this award winning project.

Penn Alexander teacher Rich Staniec interviewed by NBC 10 TV.

Penn Alexander School 2006-2007
Companion Planting

Penn Alexander teacher Michele Dixon and the Restaurant School’s Chef Richard Pepino instruct Green City Youth student on planting techniques .

“Companion planting: Growing two or more plants together in a given area to improve each other's quality” (http://www.homeandgardensite.com/gardening_terms_101.htm)

All spring long Michele Dixon’s fifth grade students have been growing herbs, veggies, and flowers in their Penn Alexander School classroom. The growing project was part of “Green City Youth”—a Pennsylvania Horticultural Society program designed to get students more involved in community greening.

The problem for these students was, “What to do with the plants after they outgrew their starter pots?”  The children had discussed a school garden, but knew that caring for tender veggies over the summer months, when school was closed, was problematic.

The answer came while teacher Michele Dixon was waiting in line at a local coffee shop. Directly in front of her, the Restaurant School’s Chef Richard Pepino was talking excitedly about the school’s plans for a new food garden on an old abandoned lot behind the school.

And quicker than you could say “companion planting”, a match was made.   The student’s desire to improve their community with green wrapped around the restaurant’s interest in fresh produce like a bean plant climbing up a corn stalk.

Holy companion planting!! Chef Pepino and his associates first visited Penn Alexander School in March. He and his culinary students helped the 5th graders plant basil, cilantro, nasturtium, and sunflower seeds.  By May the students were visiting the garden twice weekly, and helping transplant their seedlings into the new garden.

They admired the fullness of their recently transplanted basil, were astonished by the way the asparagus shoots bolted out of the ground and mystified at how a strawberry blossom becomes a berry..
           
This Thursday, both schools will celebrate their collaboration with a special picnic lunch at the garden.  Green City Youth Project Manager, Larry Stier, says it’s the celebration of a perfect union. “Two schools working together for a greener, cleaner, and healthier Philadelphia. What could be better? "