Raley's to grant learning gardens to three elementary schools

Now through Oct. 30, Northern California and Nevada residents and schools can apply online to nominate their favorite K-5 school (within a 10-mile distance of a Raley’s, Bel Air or a Nob Hill Foods grocery store) for a chance to receive a learning garden at Raley’s or Captain Planet Foundation, according to a news release.

Three elementary schools will receive the comprehensive Captain Planet Foundation Project Learning Garden program, valued at $6,000, the company said. The learning garden comes complete with a raised bed garden, lesson kits, schoolyard garden supplies, a fully equipped mobile garden cooking cart and strategies for garden maintenance, according to the release. If the school already has a garden, it is still eligible to enter for a chance to win a garden expansion package.

The learning garden program provides a context for multidisciplinary learning, ranging from nutrition and science to social studies, math and language arts, and students benefit by expanding their palates, taste-testing healthy foods and learning about food origins, the release said.

“We are excited to partner with the Captain Planet Foundation,” said Felipe Espino, community relations specialist for Raley’s. “Raley’s is dedicated to the communities it serves offering education-focused programs like this one. Project Learning Garden provides hands-on environmental and food exploration for kids. Knowing where food comes from is a critical component of making healthier choices throughout life and this program allows students of all ages to explore this concept firsthand.”

“Anything can be taught in the context of the garden, and this hands-on learning helps students understand how to grow food and eat more healthily,” said Leesa Carter-Jones, president and CEO for the Captain Planet Foundation. “Captain Planet Foundation engages and empowers young people to be problem solvers for the planet — and we are thrilled to be working with Raley’s to provide three lucky elementary schools in Northern California or Nevada with the learning garden program.”

The three elementary schools selected to receive learning gardens will be notified and announced in January 2025, the release said.