Bloom Health Initiative Program is a school year long gardening, cooking, life skills program in partnership with TROY Alternative School.
The focus is on getting students curious and excited to learn about the necessities of life through hands on experiences in activities such as growing food from seed to harvest, soil science, organic growing methods, innovative alternatives for food production for changes in climate, whole foods nutrition and cooking with vegetables, vegetable preservation, bushcraft/life skills, foraging, healthy natural movement, alternative therapy for dealing with mental health issues and also fostering community mindfulness by employing the idea of reciprocity.
The garden and nature immersion engages students by providing a dynamic environment in which to observe, discover, experiment, nurture, and learn. It is a living laboratory where lessons are drawn from real-life experiences, rather than textbook examples, allowing students to become active participants in the learning process. Through the garden and nature immersion, students learn to understand ecosystems, an appreciation for food origins and nutrition, and knowledge of plant and animal life cycles.
Interested in contributing to this program?
Check out our wish list items here.
Educational Aims
Economic and Food Security Aims
Intellectual Development—Academic Skills
Psychological Development—Social and Moral Skills
Jessica has an educational background as a Forest School Director and Forest School teacher, Kamana Naturalist, personal training, yoga teaching, and natural movement, certified in nutrition, and thai yoga practitioner. She is the Outdoor Educator for TROY Alternative School for at-risk youth and currently homeschools her two teenage sons. She joined with Giving Gardens of Indiana as the Educational Director in the summer of 2019. She serves on the Tree Board in Columbia City. She is currently in Naturalist training through Wilderness Awareness School. Sharing her excitement for the world around us and nature with kids is what she loves to teach most. She is a teacher to the core! Jessica has been in love with gardening since her, and her husband were married and has grown something everywhere since (even when traveling in their schoolie!). Her passion for hiking has turned her into a forager and hobby herbalist. Taking care of the natural world and educating others in this area is one of her top priorities. She tries her best to live a healthy and sustainable lifestyle and share that example with others. Because of this personal mission, she is the “Green Team” co-founder for the Ignite Group for their ultra trail running series, with a mission to help “Green” up the races so that there is less waste generated by the sporting events. That has also led her to be a local food advocate and share the importance of seasonal, local consumption in a sustainable way, because not only is it healthy for you, but it also supports the earth and the local community and families. Being a part of Giving Gardens as Educational Director is all of her dreams and experience rolled into one!
Contact us if your school is interested in participating in Bloom Health Initiative.