Taylor Mills Learning GardenClass is in session — outdoors! Growing creativity, collaboration, and curiosity for all 500 K–5 students. |
$1,600
Granted
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Grant at a Glance
Awarded To
Lori Watkins, 3rd-Grade Teacher
School
Taylor Mills School
Grades Served
K–5, schoolwide
Students Reached
500 students
Grant Awarded
$1,600
Funded By
H. Hovnanian Family Foundation
Grant Cycle
Spring 2026
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 The Request3rd-grade teacher Lori Watkins partnered with the Foundation through an Experiential Learning Grant to transform the existing garden space at Taylor Mills into an outdoor learning space for every student — raised planters for a butterfly garden, trellises for climbing vegetables and flowering vines, shade umbrellas, soil, plants, and materials for whimsical garden details like signs and painted rock animals, made by the kids themselves. The ImpactNow all 500 K–5 students at Taylor Mills can explore science, math, literacy, and environmental stewardship through hands-on, real-world experiences — observing plant life cycles, measuring growth, recording data, and engaging in inquiry-based learning. The garden also supports social-emotional development, offering a calming natural space for reflection, movement, and collaboration. We're growing more than just plants — we're cultivating creativity, collaboration, curiosity, and a lifelong love for the natural world. “We're growing more than just plants — we're cultivating creativity, collaboration, curiosity, and a lifelong love for the natural world.”
— The Foundation for MERS
Thank You
Our deepest gratitude to the H. Hovnanian Family Foundation Board for approving a $1,600 contribution to the Taylor Mills Learning Garden — and to Lori Watkins for bringing this exciting outdoor learning space to life.
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