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are due on February 24

:: A GARDEN GROWS IN GEORGETOWN - WITH THE HELP OF SOUTHWESTERN PAIDEIA STUDENTS ::

Dateline: November 15, 2005

A project developed by students in Southwestern University's Paideia Program is not only enhancing the appearance of the Williamson County and Cities Health District headquarters, but also providing food for low-income residents in Williamson County.

To fulfill their service learning requirement, the students in Hal Haskell's Paideia cohort decided to develop a garden for the Williamson County and Cities Health District. Ansa Copeland, a junior philosophy major from Wharton, came up with the idea for the project after researching the "Green Corn" project in Austin.

With guidance from Suzy Pukys, coordinator of volunteer resources and community-based learning at Southwestern, the students put in landscaping ties to create raised beds, got dirt donated for the garden, put the plants in, and are watering them regularly. Produce currently growing in the gardens includes peppers, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, spinach, lettuce, collards, turnips and a variety of herbs.

The fruits of their labors can be seen around the health district headquarters in downtown Georgetown.

"It's a wonderful garden," said Marge Tripp, community health promotion director for the health district. "We couldn't have done it without them."

The health district takes produce from the gardens to use in the "Happy Kitchens" classes it teaches at The Caring Place in Georgetown. These classes are for uninsured persons with diabetes to help them control their blood sugar via diet.

English major Robin Hall is working on a brochure that will be put at The Caring Place and The Georgetown Clinic to encourage residents to come see the gardens. They want to show people that it is possible to grow your own produce. The students plan to continue the project the rest of their time at Southwestern and then hand it off to another Paideia group.

"This has been very exciting for us," Copeland said. "We're glad that the project has been a success and the Health District is happy."

-Ellen Davis