Warren Central Intermediate School is taking a new approach to teach students the importance of Agriculture. Teachers and students are building greenhouses where they will be growing several types of vegetable, Christina Hood, sixth-grade project-based learning teacher said.
“This project was chosen as a school enrichment project,” Hood said.
She hopes this project will teach students the art and science of agriculture while making a direct connection to the food they eat everyday in Mississippi.
Hood said they have already planted corn, tomatoes, squash, peppers, greens, pumpkins, and broccoli.
The students will harvest the vegetables that are grown and they plan to sell the vegetables at a farmers market in town.

The proceeds from the sales would be used to further the organic garden project.
Hood said that the project is really good for students, and she hopes they learn about the value of agriculture from participating in it.
“We hope to show our students the value of self-sufficiency by producing our own food as a means of nourishment, employment, the link to Mississippi history and the process involved in developing a seed into food.”
Joshua Stewart, WCI Physical Education instructor said he hopes that students understand how much work is involved in harvesting food for sustenance.
The project, which hosts about 60 students, does not come without a price tag.
A grant was needed to help fund the project and Stewart contacted the Mississippi Department of Agriculture who funded the project through a grant called “Growing Lunch” that allows eligible schools to receive a grant of up to $500 to purchase supplies needed to plant a garden.
The students involved are able to take part in the first year of the project-based learning system at WCI. In the system, Hood said, there are select students engaged in hands-on approaches to learning in both the fifth and sixth grades.
“Students begin investigations into their world by a ‘driving question.’ This question is determining by a type of theme that sets what the students will be focusing on for an extended period of time,” Hood said.
She added that this quarter’s theme is staying or becoming healthy, wealthy and wise.
“Students are taking this theme by answering such questions as, ‘how can engaging in a healthy diet affect my daily life?’ or ‘how can sharing information create wise decisions?’ Both of these questions are engaging the students with projects such as our organic garden and creating the first ever WCI student-led newspaper,” she said.
Hood said she has high hopes for the future of the project.
“We hope to continue our project as a way to show sustainability and growth through hard work. Agriculture is a part of Mississippi culture and teaching its relevance to our state should be included in public education,” Hood said.