During World War II, Eleanor Roosevelt planted an iconic “Victory Garden” and encouraged Americans to do the same. This year, the students of Eleanor Roosevelt High School are paying tribute to the hard work of the school’s namesake by building a victory garden of their own.
The idea emerged in 2012 when U.S. History teacher Mr. Julian Lord proposed the creation of a garden to his classes. After two years of planning, and with the support of the ERHS staff, the garden now consists of seven raised beds, each four by six feet.
President of the Greenbelt Community Garden Club, Ms. Martha Tomecek, has possibly been the greatest contributor to the garden, having donated seeds, monitored the delivery of compost, and given instruction of how to properly grow and harvest the vegetables.
Mrs. Josephine Michael and Principal Mr. Reginald McNeill were among those who helped to plant the first seeds, which have already produced 99 pounds of vegetables. The vegetables provided ERHS with an opportunity to give back to the community. Mrs. Tomecek transported and donated them to the St. Camillus Food Pantry, which gives food to undocumented immigrants.
Adults have organized the garden, but the students are expected to keep it running. A group of ROTC students water and weed the garden on Tuesdays and Fridays after school. Despite the hard work it must be, the students talked and laughed, making the job look like fun.
Junior and ROTC student Lury Raimundo reflected positively on the garden saying “It’s gonna teach students how to help the community and they don’t have to go far.”
All students, however, are welcome to participate. “If any kid wants to play a role in [tending to the garden] that would be great,” says Mr. Lord, who encourages the students to start a gardening club.
There have been high hopes for a visit from First Lady Michelle Obama in recognition of the ERHS garden. Encouraging students to grow vegetables is a fitting way to support her “Let’s Move!” campaign, which attempts to lower the rate of childhood obesity.
“We all need to be aware of where our food comes from – the history and origins of our vegetables and fruits,” said Mrs. Tomecek on how the garden contributes to the “Let’s Move!” campaign. She continued, “this information is useful to understand the context for what we currently consume and what might be our options for the future.”
The students and staff of ERHS can access http://tinyurl.com/ERHSVictoryGarden to add their letters to Mrs. Obama and support the efforts to gain her attention.
Perhaps the most exciting part of this project is the many ideas for the future. Teachers of every subject including Mrs. Linda Cunningham, Dr. Davida Taylor, Dr. Victor Tebid, and many more have agreed to find ways to incorporate the garden into their curriculums. The garden could also be the centerpiece for fundraisers and community events.
The creation of Eleanor Roosevelt High School’s Victory Garden is a fitting way to “call back to Eleanor Roosevelt,” said Mr. Lord.
