EDUCATIONAL GRANT

Nauset Regional Middle School

Nauset, Massachusetts

In 2015, the Jennison Charitable Foundation funded the building of a greenhouse at Nauset Regional Middle School in Nauset Massachusetts.  The benefits of this endeavor are apparent not only at the school, but in the community as a whole.  The following is a testimonial from Maxine Minkoff, the principal at Nauset Regional Middle School.

“Your contribution made all the difference in our being about to build the greenhouse!  It’s been a huge success, with all 550 of our students taking advantage of it.  At this point we have classes of 6th graders and 8th graders on a daily basis learning everything from the protocol for working in the greenhouse to the entrepreneurial skills of  developing a business plan, marketing, pricing, selling, and distributing products.  Students sell produce to restaurants and at Cape Cod’s winter farmer’s market which takes place in our cafeteria weekly.  It was the greenhouse that inspired the farmers market to start a winter market and house it with us!

Most importantly students are learning about horticulture and what it takes to plant, nurture, and sustain vegetables and flowers.  The hands-on nature of working in the greenhouse is perfect for middle school students and they love it.  Special Education students come in throughout the day to work on special projects.  Classes come in to do research.  Science classes use it for learn about different energy sources and how they work in the greenhouse.  Math students measure plant growth over time, graph their results, and determine if there is or is not a constant rate of growth.  Art students come in to draw plants and flowers, and make pots for the plants to be sold.  Even foreign language classes have used the greenhouse to teach students the Spanish terms of various plants and greenhouse accessories.

In short, the greenhouse is a vital, living, and well-used part of the Middle School.  We would not have been able to move forward with the speed and enthusiasm we have were it not for the Jennison Charitable Foundation.  We cannot thank you enough!”

-Maxine Minkoff, principal of Nauset Regional Middle School