ARLINGTON, TEXAS (October 23, 2023) – A team of volunteers will be turning soil at an Arlington elementary school this week to help young people learn the benefits of growing and eating fresh fruits and vegetables, and to promote life-long healthy habits. In its first official partnership with Arlington ISD and with the support of Atmos Energy, Texas Health’s North Texas Healthy Communities (NTHC) is expanding its school gardening efforts beyond Fort Worth to serve students at Wimbish World Language Academy in Arlington.

The garden build-out event will take place at the school at 1601 Wright St., Arlington, 76012, from 8:50 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 24.

Throughout the day, Atmos Energy volunteers will transform a portion of the campus into a 2,340-square-foot learning garden with nine raised beds for growing vegetables, and space for ground perennial, as well as Texas native and pollinator plants. Work will include building raised garden beds, filling those beds with soil, and installing landscape timber edging.

NTHC is an outreach arm of Texas Health and focuses on efforts to improve access to fresh produce, support nutrition education, increase child literacy, and implement school and community gardens. Those efforts are guided by the Texas Health Resources Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), which identifies areas of need throughout the community. NTHC targets programs and services to meet those needs, including delivering nutrition education and other resources to individuals and families, and providing a variety of innovative neighborhood-based programs to enhance access to fresh produce and other healthy foods.

Atmos Energy’s support for school gardens is part of its commitment to Fueling Safe and Thriving Communities, which includes promoting healthy eating initiatives in its service areas.

“Learning gardens give students first-hand experience in growing and nurturing plants that provide healthy, nutritious food,” said Al Hernandez, public affairs manager for Atmos Energy. “We’re proud to fuel bright minds and healthy futures for kids by rolling up our sleeves and laying the foundation for such a great learning opportunity.”

Research shows that children who become familiar with growing and eating nutritious foods at an early age are more likely to sustain healthy dietary habits as adults.

“Gardens are a great teaching tool because they allow students to learn how we can grow food that nourishes our minds and our bodies,” said Dr. Chelsea Kostyniak, principal of Wimbish.  “Our students will be helping seeds sprout, grow and transform into plants that yield fruits and vegetables.”

Mary Jo Greene, Texas Health learning garden consultant, said she anticipates that the learning garden will become an integral part of the school community. “Harnessing interest from staff, families and the wider community, and joining with partner organizations, the school has built a network of necessary support to create an amazing outdoor learning and living classroom experience for its campus.”

NTHC has helped establish more than 30 learning gardens on school campuses. This is the first garden initiative outside of Fort Worth ISD. With support from sponsors like Atmos Energy, as well as companies like Fidelity and Alcon, Texas Health hopes to expand those efforts across North Texas.

“If we want to create a healthier community, we need to look at the big picture, so we’re working to create better, stronger food systems,” said Matt Dufrene, Texas Health vice president. “That means increasing the locally grown food supply and educating our community about the long-term benefits of healthy eating. School gardens are a great way to do that as they set a foundation for building life-long healthy habits. With the help of partners like Atmos Energy, we will continue to expand our reach to more of the Texas Health Resources service area.”