The Garden Club of America honored Dr. Stewart Slafter in Atherton, California for inspiring children to understand the fragility and beauty of the planet.
Dr. Slafter is a history and garden teacher at Sacred Heart Schools, a unique educational environment that infuses nature’s ambiance into the classroom. The 63-acre academic campus is the only one on the San Francisco Peninsula certified by the San Mateo Department of Health to cook produce it grows on the campus in its cafeterias, said Millie Lee, communication director for Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton.
“In addition, produce harvested from the garden is shared with the school community, Oakwood Retirement Center, and several community food outreach programs,” Lee said.
Members of the Hillsborough Garden Club, Lennie Gotcher and Nettle Ramsay, presented The Elizabeth Abernathy Hull Award to Dr. Slafter on May 15, 2013. He also received a prize of $1,000.
“I am honored and humbled to have received this award,” said Dr. Slafter. “I am truly inspired by the Sacred Heart’s founding Sisters’ principles of being responsible for creation and to be stewards of the earth’s resources. Teaching our children to respect and protect the environment is an integral part of our campus’ sustainability curriculum.”
Students help tend the 10,000 square feet of organic gardens that grow on the campus; they also help with chickens, turkeys, rabbits, and goats that roam the land.
School administrators lauded Slafter for cultivating an environmentally conscious mindset in the students who attend coursework there.
“Dr. Slafter is not only planting seeds in our gardens, but he is also planting the seeds of knowledge and community outreach that inspire youth not only to protect the land, but also to nourish themselves as well as the community around them,” said Richard A. Dioli, Head of Schools.
“We are proud of Dr. Slafter and his commitment to educating students about the preservation of the environment for their future,” Dioli said.
Sacred Heart Schools is located at 150 Valparaiso Avenue in Atherton, California.
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