Vote Online to Help McKinley Elementary Get Garden Grant

You can help McKinley Elementary School, feed the Octopus’ Garden and help future generations. The urban campus in the heart of North Park needs your vote to win a $25,000 grant to expand its already great but small garden.

McKinley is a finalist for a grant from Nature’s Path, including $10,000 cash, coaching from organic gardeners and a sponsored fundraiser, providing much-needed support for a school where some 70 percent of the student body qualify for free or reduced school lunch. Click to vote: http://www.justmeans.com/contestidea?ideaid=NTA3 . The five top finalists will be determined by how many internet votes are received by midnight Tuesday, June 15.

At McKinley, the garden has become a huge hit among their 420-student, ethnically diverse student body, whose campus is mostly paved and concrete. For teachers, it’s a real-life curriculum that gives students a broader understanding of where food comes from and the importance of healthy eating. Winning this online voting contest would qualify McKinley Elementary to expand the garden to better serve students and the surrounding community, including incorporating organic, “home grown” food into school meals, as well as creating a community garden as a welcome addition to the neighborhood. For more information, contact Sarah Scalo at (619) 278-8057 or swscalo@gmail.com .