OAKWOOD ELEMENTARY PTA
is the Inaugural recipient for the “Imagine the Possibilities” grant of $2500
grant from Unity Gardens

Oakwood Elementary PTA
has received their second grant from Unity Gardens.   As the inaugural recipients of the “Imagine
the Possibilities” grant, Oakwood Elementary PTA continued the work of creating
an Outdoor Garden Classroom for the students of Oakwood.  With the help of Unity Gardens, Evergreen
Gene’s, OESPTA, the school broke ground in August on the first section of the
garden.  A rain garden has been planted
with our first $1,000 grant from Unity Gardens to help purify water run off
before it makes it way to the Chesapeake bay. 
Students are able to work in the garden during their recess time.  It is fantastic to see students eager to work
and learn about maintaining this newly planted garden. 

The new grant of $2500
from Unity Gardens allowed OESPTA and the school community to construct two
large (24’ x4’) raised beds for the students to plant vegetables as well as 10
different varieties of native shrubs and trees to soften the fence line and
create the outline of the Garden Classroom. 
Oakwood Elementary hosted a Beautification Day on Saturday, October
27.  Parents, teachers, students and
community volunteers came together to build and fill the raised beds and plant
the new Maryland natives in the Outdoor Garden Classroom. The group also trimmed,
mulched and enhanced the front landscaping of the school. “Saturday was a
special day! I really felt a sense of community. The diversity of people that
helped was truly representative of our school”, commented Principal Donna
Usewick.  It is exciting to provide a
space for the students to dig in the dirt. 
This Outdoor Garden Classroom will allow teachers to bring the core
curriculum to life and enhance the learning environment for the students.  Work is never done in the garden, community groups
are welcome to volunteer  with and/or
support our efforts with our Outdoor Garden Classroom.   Contact Allison Pickard, OESPTApresident@gmail.com.

Oakwood Elementary
serves about 330 students pre-K through 5^th grade, provides Early
Childhood Intervention (ECI) in the Glen Burnie area, and is a 2011recipient of
the Maryland and National School of Character designation, as awarded by the
Character Education Partnership (www.character.org).