Thanks to generous grant funding, CLC children have experienced the wonders of garden-to-table learning through a partnership with The Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens. Together, Bartlett and CLC are bringing hands-on lessons about food, nature, and growth to classrooms and gardens across Stamford.
At CLC Palmers Hill, CLC Westover, and CLC Lathon Wider, funding from The Herbert and Nell Singer Foundation supported hands-on learning throughout the school year. With Bartlett’s guidance, children explored gourds and corn varieties, learned about Native American planting traditions, and planted seeds of their own — watching beans, corn, and lettuce grow into thriving plants by May. These experiences gave children the chance to understand growth up close and connect with the natural world.
For the first time this year, CLC also offered a Gardening and Healthy Eating program funded by the CT Grown for CT Kids Grant Program, P.A. 21-0002, S.36, awarded and administered by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture. At CLC William Pitt, our Bartlett educator supported a thriving garden that produced abundant collard greens and acorn squash. Families received recipes and nutrition tips to enjoy these vegetables at home.
The harvest has enriched classroom learning and mealtimes. Some children sampled raw peppers straight from the garden, while Chef Fernando prepared a fresh spaghetti sauce with peppers, scallions, and basil. From seed to table, this collaboration with Bartlett — made possible by our generous funders — is sparking joy, curiosity, and lifelong healthy habits for CLC children and families.