FA joined a global garden movement in 2023 thanks to a grant from Green Our Planet! 

Fourth Grade Lead Teacher Michelle Midkiff spearheaded the initiative to bring nature-based learning indoors through hydroponic gardening. The grant (valued at $13,500) made hydroponic beds available to every class throughout Fredericksburg Academy’s Lower School and Early Childhood division. Since the installation last fall, each grade level has been developing and implementing individual plans for their garden. Faculty have access to an extensive catalog of lesson plans and information on incorporating supporting topics such as cultural awareness and financial literacy into the curriculum.

Midkiff’s vision for the program includes sharing future harvests with the community. The initial harvest was distributed among students, sending each one into the holiday break with bunches of lettuce, kale, chives, parsley, and cilantro. Midkiff, along with Lower School Head Patty Estes, who also recently directed FA’s certification as a nature-based elementary school, worked in unison on project planning and execution.

Estes says, "I am so proud of the way our faculty are embracing this opportunity for their students. The impact of this indoor garden program will continue to grow with each planting, but for now, I can tell you that fourth grade’s classroom pet, a tortoise named Yoshi, has never been happier thanks to the generosity of every FA Lower School gardener.” 

Read the full press release here.