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Bernshausen Elementary Awarded $1,972 from KEF for ‘Cha-Cha Chomp Garden’ Grant

Bernshausen Elementary Awarded $1,972 from KEF for ‘Cha-Cha Chomp Garden’ Grant
Terencia Lee

Bernshausen received a Klein ISD Education Foundation (KEF) grant to fund the Cha-Cha Chomp Garden project for bilingual 5th graders. 

In a surprise visit orchestrated by the KEF Celebration Express, the school was honored with the grant in the presence of Foundation directors, community members, and our esteemed Superintendent, Dr. Jenny McGown.

Amidst an atmosphere of joy and excitement, the Bernshausen Elementary staff welcomed numerous Foundation supporters disembarking from the Celebration Express school bus. They presented substantial grants to the recipients, including Bernshausen Elementary. 

The elementary school will use the $1,972 grant sponsored by Brian and Jenny McGown to grow an indoor hydroponic garden for two bilingual classrooms that will be used to grow vegetables to make salsa and feed their class pet rabbit, Coco. The cafeteria staff and the owners of Taqueria Oscar will teach the classes how to use the grown produce in recipes, especially to make delicious salsas.

The garden will meet the needs of students by building leadership, fostering literacy, experiencing plant life cycles, and learning about nutrition. This project will help support both the TELPAS reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills, as well as 5th-grade reading, math, and science goals. The classes will read nonfiction and fiction gardening books in Spanish and English, supporting the 5th-grade biliteracy TEKS, conducting measurements (math TEKS), and 5th-grade life science TEKS.

“Bernshausen has found the recipe for great learning experiences. Anytime you can give students hands-on opportunities to learn, you’ve hooked kids,” KEF President Bill Lakin said. “Learning and experiencing your work simultaneously helps the bulb go off sooner for kids. We are seeing kids engage in entrepreneurial skills earlier and earlier these days. In this grant opportunity, the students will get to actually experience their learning. Chips and salsa…This is TEXAS!”

This fall, the KEF Celebration Express distributed grants totaling $79,134, enriching educational experiences for our learners. These grants encompass various innovative and engaging projects, from initiatives focused on Math fluency to those enhancing literacy. The Fall 2023 grant recipients are not only innovative but also serve as a source of inspiration.

We extend heartfelt gratitude to all our grant sponsors whose contributions have made these initiatives possible. Your support plays a pivotal role in enhancing the educational journey of every Klein ISD student.

The Klein ISD Education Foundation accepts grant applications biannually, encouraging, facilitating, and acknowledging creative projects that drive academic success for our Klein ISD students.

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