UPPER MARLBORO – Students from Prince George’s County Public Schools are learning to grow their own vegetables and make healthy choices thanks to a partnership with the University of Maryland Extension (UME).

Deborah Archer, a UME project leader and nutrition educator, has been working with students and teachers for the last three years. She’s assisted seven schools with building gardens.

“We greatly appreciate Ms. Archer’s dedication to the students of Prince George’s County Public Schools,” said Dr. William R. Hite Jr., Superintendent of Schools. “The University of Maryland has been an ongoing partner with out district and provides many unique learning opportunities and experiences for our students.”

Archer invited students and staff from Bladensburg High School and Buck Lodge Middle School to join her in touring the White House garden and kitchen in September. She also helped to start the agriculture club at Bladensburg this year. Through the club, students are expanding their knowledge of gardening and growing plants and flowers in the school’s formerly-unused greenhouse.

In addition, Archer has been working with the Community-Referenced Instruction program at Buck Lodge on a number of special projects, such as growing herbs in a dirt-free AeroGarden. Through the “Make BLMS Green” project, students grew bean plants at home over spring break, and planted lettuce, strawberries and edible flowers in the school courtyard. Special education students from Baltimore helped build garden tables to accommodate varying wheelchair heights for Buck Lodge students. A dozen Buck Lodge students volunteered over the summer to work on the garden, and learned about planting and harvesting. The students then prepared meals using foods from the garden and shared them with the school community.