The goal of Wildcats Grow & Give is to design and establish a portable, resilient school garden that can remain healthy during weekends and school breaks and be safely relocated before severe weather. Rather than installing permanent garden beds, NJHS students will create a modular system using self-watering growing containers on movable bases, quick-connect irrigation, and removable garden equipment.
Students will apply science, engineering, mathematics, and problem-solving skills as they research, build, test, and improve the system. They will investigate water usage, reservoir capacity, irrigation rates, soil moisture, plant growth, weather conditions, and crop yield to determine how the garden can operate sustainably when school is not in session.
NJHS will serve as the founding leadership team, but the modular design will allow the garden to expand gradually to classrooms and clubs throughout North Naples Middle School. Harvested produce will support local families or community organizations, while future school-approved farmers markets may raise funds for local charities. The project supports our “All In” culture by challenging students to create a practical, sustainable solution that connects scientific learning, leadership, emergency preparedness, and community service.
Students will design, build, and manage a portable school garden that addresses two major challenges facing school gardens: maintaining plants when school is closed and protecting garden materials during severe weather.
NJHS students will work in teams responsible for crop research, garden design, irrigation, data collection, maintenance, harvesting, and community outreach. Students will assemble self-watering planters on movable bases and develop a quick-connect irrigation system that can provide supplemental water during extended breaks. They will test how long planter reservoirs retain water, monitor soil moisture, measure plant growth, analyze weather conditions, and adjust watering schedules using collected evidence.
Students will also develop written operating procedures for regular weekends, extended school breaks, and hurricane preparation. The storm-readiness plan will identify how irrigation components are disconnected, loose supplies are secured, and planters are moved to an administration-approved sheltered location before the school closes. Students will practice the relocation process only during normal school conditions; any actual pre-storm relocation will occur under adult supervision and school safety procedures.
Through project-based and inquiry-based learning, students will apply concepts involving plant processes, ecosystems, limiting factors, water conservation, engineering design, measurement, data analysis, and human environmental impact. The modular system can be expanded, rearranged, or relocated as school needs change, creating a sustainable outdoor learning resource for future students.
Students will benefit from solving an authentic scientific and engineering problem rather than simply maintaining a traditional garden. They will learn how to design a system around real constraints, test possible solutions, collect evidence, identify failures, and improve their design. This will strengthen scientific reasoning, data analysis, collaboration, leadership, perseverance, and responsible decision-making.
Students will measure soil moisture, water consumption, reservoir duration, plant growth, weather conditions, and crop yield. They will use these measurements to determine whether the portable garden system can successfully support plants during weekends and extended school breaks. Students will also gain practical experience with conservation, emergency preparation, project management, and community service.
Success will be demonstrated through student garden journals, system designs, irrigation tests, data tables, graphs, written procedures, reflections, teacher observations, harvested produce, and the successful completion of relocation drills. Additional evidence will include the number of students participating, pounds of produce donated, and the garden’s ability to remain operational across weekends, breaks, and changing school needs.
Grant funding will be used to create a portable, self-watering school garden that can remain healthy during weekends and extended school breaks and be relocated before severe weather. North Naples Middle School already has an appropriate garden location and access to water; however, we currently lack the equipment and supplies needed to establish a sustainable growing system.
Funds will purchase self-watering planters with reservoir systems and locking caster bases, a programmable quick-connect drip-irrigation system, potting mix, compost, mulch, seeds, seedlings, gardening tools, gloves, soil-testing materials, moisture meters, a harvest scale, removable plant supports, protective netting, and secure supply containers.
Every requested item directly supports student learning and the long-term success of the project. The self-watering reservoirs and timed irrigation system will allow students to investigate water conservation, soil moisture, irrigation rates, and plant growth while reducing the risk of crop loss when school is closed. Locking caster bases, quick-connect irrigation components, and removable supports will allow the garden to be reorganized as school needs change or moved to an administration-approved sheltered location before a hurricane. Durable tools, planters, and testing equipment will be reused by future students for multiple growing seasons.
The project will initially serve NJHS students, who will design, test, maintain, and document the system. As the portable garden becomes established, it can expand to science classes, additional clubs, and students across all grade levels, potentially benefiting the entire North Naples Middle School student body. This $2,000 investment will create a reusable outdoor learning laboratory that supports scientific inquiry, engineering design, leadership, environmental responsibility, and community service for years to come.
2000
10 self-watering planters with caster bases
850
Quick-connect drip system, timer, filter, and regulator
200
Potting mix, compost, and mulch
300
Student gardening tools
200
Gardening gloves and safety supplies
100
Seeds, seedlings, trays, and plant-starting materials
125
Soil-testing, pH, and moisture-monitoring supplies
125
Removable trellises, stakes, and protective netting
