The CIS FirstSchool Garden Programs are rapidly expanding throughout Moore County. There are 10 established CIS FirstSchool Garden Programs. Currently, more than 3000 Moore County Elementary School students are impacted by the program. 57% of all elementary schools in Moore County, that is 3,333 students, will have direct exposure to the CIS FirstSchool Garden Program.
To date, the CIS FirstSchool Garden Program has received more than $300,000 to encourage a healthy nutrition environment in schools. It supports the development of lifelong nutrition and fitness behaviors by bringing diet, nutrition and food preparation to students in the garden. The CIS FirstSchool Garden Program has proven to be a successful vehicle for teaching important 21st century ideas with a back to basics approach.
Partnerships are vital to a project of this magnitude. The collaboration of community partners creates enormous resources of expertise that would not be possible with a single entity. Each CIS FirstSchool Garden has a host of parent and community partners who have given tremendous support to their individual project. To provide clarity and understanding, the major partners listed in this directory pertain to those collaborating with CIS in all of the FirstSchool Gardens.
The FirstSchool Gardens may be a component of another project as with Academy Heights and Pinehurst Elementary. The portion that is funded and sustained by CISMC will be known as CIS FirstSchool Gardens at “the school’s location”, e.g. CIS FirstSchool Garden at Academy Heights or CIS FirstSchool Garden at Pinehurst Elementary.
Lead Agency:
Communities In Schools of Moore County (CISMC) secured funding, designed, created and implemented the pilot project at the request of teachers at Aberdeen Elementary. As the project expands, CISMC remains responsible for all CIS FirstSchool Gardens developed within the Moore County Schools’ system, providing prime accountability in funding, designing, creating, implementing and sustaining the FirstSchool Garden Programs in agreement with Moore County Schools.
Funding Partners:
- BlueCross and BlueShield of North Carolina Foundation- funding awarded to CISMC
- FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital Auxiliary- funding awarded to FirstHealth Community Health Services and CISMC
- United Way of Moore County- funding awarded to CISMC
- Palmer Foundation- funding awarded to CISMC
- Ronald McDonald Foundation- funding awarded to CISMC
Community Partners:
- Sandhills Community College
- FirstHealth Community Health Services – partner with CISMC to request, secure and distribute funding from Moore Regional Hospital Auxiliary.
- Moore County Schools – provides authorization to CISMC to integrate FirstSchool Gardens into the school campus and daily school schedule.
- Moore County Cooperative Extension – provides the resources of NC State University and NC A&T State University. Through educational programs, publications, and events, Cooperative Extension delivers unbiased, research-based information for our gardens. The Cooperative Extension has committed the expertise of a part-time Youth Garden Coordinator to work extensively with the CIS FirstSchool Garden Program.
- Master Gardener Volunteers – work as trained volunteers in partnership with the county Cooperative Extension Service office to share the knowledge they gained in training sessions with our students in the garden program. As volunteers, they share their time and talents with our students serving as mentors, teachers and supporters.
- Community & Parent Volunteers - provide skills on all levels from constructing the gardens to conducting programs in the garden to direct financial support.
