ME
NU
Donate Now

Kandice Taylor

Encouraged entrepreneurship while teaching financial literacy and an understanding of soil, erosion and weather to rejuvenate an abandoned garden

2023 STEM Scholar
Jackson, MS Brinkley Middle School

Kandice’s Big Idea: 

Students worked to refresh Brinkley Garden Cares – the school’s garden that was neglected and had gone to waste. Students learned curriculum concepts, financial literacy, social learning skills and a new hobby. Some of the food grown was shared with the community and some sold at the farmer’s market. The goal was to feed the school with the food grown while continuously bringing in revenue from sales to assist with school resources. Most importantly, the garden served as a teaching tool.

Outcomes included:

  • Examining the soil and learning what constitutes good soil for growth;
  • Learning about the formation of soil and layers of the Earth;
  • Learning about erosion and weathering as it relates to gardening;
  • Learning about asexual and sexual reproduction, and mitosis/meiosis;
  • Developing financial literacy through the purchasing of materials using a budget and the sales and profit from selling;
  • Learning about the careers of entrepreneurship through farming and agriculture.

Interesting Facts: 

Kandice has been teaching for seven years and also serves as a coach at her school!

In her own words: “The garden will not only serve as a way to teach students different concepts. However, it will also serve as a way to feed our community…. The goal is to feed the school with the food grown while continuously bringing in revenue from sales to assist with resources for the school.”