Preschoolers at a Southbridge Head Start center will soon be able to get their hands dirty for a good cause: growing their own food.
The Worcester Community Action Council and Worcester-based Regional Environmental Council are partnering to install six raised garden beds at the Head Start center at 25 Cole Ave., creating an outdoor classroom where children ages 3 to 5 can plant, tend and harvest fruits, vegetables and herbs.
Installation is scheduled for Nov. 13, according to a joint announcement issued Tuesday.
The project is designed to introduce young children to gardening and healthy eating while incorporating hands-on lessons in science, math and language development. Students will count seedlings, observe how plants grow and learn new vocabulary as they explore the garden.
The produce they grow will be used in classroom activities, with additional fruits and vegetables sent home to families.
For WCAC, which operates Head Start and Early Head Start programs across Central and South-Central Massachusetts, the gardens are intended to strengthen the connection between early childhood education, nutrition and family involvement.
“Our children learn best when they can touch, dig, and discover,” Kathleen Dow, WCAC’s Head Start director, said in the announcement. “These garden beds give them a place to see where food comes from and to be proud of something they grew themselves—and they give our families one more way to be part of that learning.”
The partnership also creates opportunities for family planting days, harvest celebrations and discussions about healthy eating at home.
Teachers can incorporate the gardens into classroom instruction, supported by the Regional Environmental Council’s school gardens program, which provides participating sites with educational resources, volunteer assistance, compost and seedlings.
The project also includes recommended books for children, families and staff to complement garden-based lessons.
The Regional Environmental Council, founded in 1972, operates several food access and environmental programs throughout Central Massachusetts. Its UGROW network supports more than 60 community and school gardens.
Grace Sliwoski, the organization’s associate executive director, said gardens can help young children develop curiosity and a greater interest in healthy foods.
“School gardens help foster curiosity and exploration, build excitement around healthy foods, and encourage connection and community. We’re happy to help amplify the good work of Head Start in Southbridge and support their students,” Sliwoski said in the announcement.
The collaboration also reflects the organizations’ broader efforts to address food access and support families facing economic challenges.
WCAC serves 46 communities through programs that include early education, energy assistance, financial empowerment, youth development and workforce training.
“Economic mobility starts early, and it starts with healthy, curious, confident kids. Partnerships like this one with REC show what’s possible when local organizations bring their strengths together for Southbridge families,” WCAC CEO Marybeth Campbell said in the announcement.
Once installed, the six garden beds provide a continuing outdoor learning space for the preschool, allowing children to follow the growing process from planting to harvest.
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