Downtown College Preparatory

Squash from DCP Garden
Downtown College Preparatory (DCP) received a garden design grant from CNGF in 2013. CNGF received two grants to help build the DCP garden – one from the Whole Kids foundation, and one from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation for aquaponics. Linda Roy, the head of our school garden design team, designed the garden with the help of Ojan Mobedshahi, our aquaponics project manager, Sarah Smith (Galaxy), DCP’s Environmental Science teacher, and her senior class. DCP also received a grant from Start Organic.
Students planting the riparian plant community

Students planting the riparian plant community

Ms. Galaxy and her environmental science class worked with Ojan and a team of interns once a week in the garden this Spring, with irrigation installed by Start Organic, transforming the $2,800 sqft plot of dirt into a garden of potential, hard work, and respect for each other and the land.

Before

Before

After

After

The DCP Garden has many components demonstrating healthy land use, including a dry creek, native planting areas modeling two native plant communities and ecosystem services, vegetable and herb beds, a composting system, a 360 sqft off-grid aquaponics system, an outdoor classroom space, timed drip irrigation, with plans for a chicken coop and more!

Interns installing a solar panel for the off-grid aquaponics system

Interns installing a solar panel for the off-grid aquaponics system

Students are able to enjoy the sound of water and the sights and smells of a garden, while learning in an interactive, engaging environment.
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