Sponsored by the Chickasaw Nation, HealthCorps, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that seeks to empower teens by encouraging them to become change agents in their families, schools, and communities by giving them tools to improve mental and physical health and live happier lives.
One of the avenues to promote change that Torri Mathis, the school’s project coordinator, took was the formation of an after-school club called Teens Make Health Happen. Active club members are Kelsi Lawson, Lillian Blevins, Shyanne Lawson, and Kimberlynn Shepard. The group meets weekly, and last spring, as a project, decided to undertake the planting of a school garden.
“HealthCorps wanted us to try and get clubs in the schools to build leadership, critical thinking, and problem solving to benefit the school and community,” Mathis said. “The goal of the club was to work toward a project. When the club was discussing project ideas, they had several great ones, but narrowed it down to a garden.”
One of the students mentioned that prior to the pandemic, a garden was started in the elementary, but abandoned after the COVID shutdowns began. After checking into the idea, the club discovered that the plots were still available, and they ran with it. They named the project “Grow With Us.” And, with a little help from some friends, that’s exactly what’s happened.
That help came from several sources. Mr. Bazor and students in his ag program built raised beds, Maintenance Director Jeral Berry and his team provided topsoil and access to water, and Pre-K teacher Karen Mathis and elementary principal Dana McMillin helped plant the garden and keep it watered during the summer.
The garden, which consists of squash, bell peppers, tomatoes, mint, and pumpkins, along with a butterfly bush, some sunflowers, and a red bud tree that had already been planted, has produced throughout the summer, and continues to do so.
“A lot of hard work from a lot of people went into this garden,” Mathis explained, “and through the summer, we harvested vegetables and shared them with people who were working at the school. It’s really been a team effort and we wouldn’t have been able to do it without everyone’s help.”
Because the pumpkins were planted in May, they were harvested by Mrs. Mathis’s class after the school year started, and they had a ball picking pumpkins and sharing them with other classes.
Recently, the club entered the project into the HealthCorps Project Health Showcase. Clubs from across the nation submitted projects and a panel of judges voted on the best proposals. Marietta’s Teens Make Health Happen was awarded $400 on their project.
“It was exciting to see because they worked so hard!” remarked Mathis. “We went into it thinking that even if we don’t win, it’s still a great project, but they were so excited about the award.”
The proceeds from the contest will be used to help fund future plans and projects. The club plans to plant new vegetables this fall.
“We hope this can be an area that the school can use as an outdoor classroom area, and also for students and faculty to enjoy vegetables grown there,” Mathis added. “These four girls were so inspiring. They’re fun to work with and I’m excited to get started again and see what amazing ideas they have for this year!”