Project Prepare is always looking for unique enrichment activities that will
engage & inspire students and the community. Project Prepare is the Jeffco Schools program that provides after school and summer programs at Foster Elementary and Arvada K8. This year, PeaceJam Leadership Squad, one of the after school clubs at Foster Elementary, dazzled everyone!
Each year, the students in PeaceJam Leadership Squad select a service project that will make a positive impact on their world. This year, they chose to build an amazing recycled water bottle greenhouse to support Foster’s school garden. Just by happenstance, Arvada West PeaceJam’s current year project was all about keeping recycled water bottles out of the landfill. It turned out to be a perfect collaboration between high school and elementary school PeaceJammers!.
Together they collected and cleaned the thousands of water bottles needed to construct walls and a roof that let the sun shine in, creating the perfect seed-starting environment. On Saturday, May 10th, the students spent an entire day stringing bottles on garden canes, hammering them onto the wooden frames, and assembling it all into the finished structure. PeaceJam teacher sponsors, Dawn Axelson and John Gallup, several friends and partners from PeaceJam and many parents were on hand to assist with some of the heavy lifting. In addition, Arvada Home Depot made a major contribution towards the lumber and other materials needed to frame out the greenhouse.
The end result is quite spectacular. Not only is it perfectly suited for starting seeds for the many plants to be grown in the Foster garden, the greenhouse is visually stunning. What a beautiful way to serve your community and the environment. Bravo PeaceJammers!
Project Prepare is a Jefferson County Schools program that provides before- and after- school activities that teach proper nutrition, encourage physical activity, and generally enrich the lives of kids and families at Foster Elementary and Arvada K8. Project Prepare is funded mainly by a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant from the U.S. Department of Education. If you have questions or would like to donate to support Project Prepare, please contact Debra Shirley at 303-982-1680