Students at H.T. Jones Elementary in Prairie View returned from their holiday break to a massive surprise at their school. Community leaders broke ground on a new greenhouse and community garden on the school’s playground.
The collaboration known as the NextGEN (gardening, education, nutrition) Project, a partnership between Jones Elementary, the City of Prairie View and Prairie View A&M University’s College of Agriculture and Human Sciences, will allow students and residents to grow plants and learn proper techniques in farming and agriculture. Corporate partner East Texas Precast provided donations for the initial phase of the project, which resulted in raised cement garden beds and soil installation. That means students were able to plant seeds as soon as they returned to school.
The City of Prairie View Mayor, David Allen, Prairie View’s Police Chief, Anthony Solomon, CAHS Dean and Director of Land Grant Programs, Dr. Gerard D’Souza, and PVAMU Veterinary Assistant Chandra Adams were all present for the donation. Adams, who has played an integral role in organizing the team to work on the project said she was enthused about its progress. She said the greenhouse and garden would open a new world to Jones Elementary students. “
Mayor Allen said he was also excited about the project and the vast potential it has to educate students and expand the relationships between participating agencies. “We’re looking to build, start, and enhance relations between the city, the university and the business community. Relationships like these are paramount. With Jones being at the foot of the university, it should be one of the premier elementary schools in the country.”
The project will continue throughout the Spring of 2019 with the next phase being the construction of a hoop-house.
By Taelor Smith, Communications Specialist, CAHS