At IPL Macro we are committed to reducing our impact on the environment that’s why, in 2018, we joined 1% for the Planet, pledging at least 1% of the sales from our Hybrid line of products to environmental nonprofits. We chose several nonprofits that were dealing with causes we cared about and were excited to support.
One of the nonprofits that we are thrilled to be a part of is Classroom In Bloom. Classroom in Bloom was founded in 2004 by Anaka Mines and Lexi Koch.
Their mission is to inspire children to grow healthy food and connect with nature. They do this through school gardening programs for K-12 students in Okanogan region of Washington State.
One of their key programs is the Farm-to-Cafeteria program. This program teaches about sustainable food systems that support their agricultural community, providing experiential, inquiry-based learning opportunities. Their school garden produces thousands of pounds of produce each year, which they donate to the schools’ cafeterias, weekly to students as healthy snacks, and to summer camp participants. In the 2020 fall harvest they were able to gather an impressive 5,600 lbs of food, which was almost double what they harvested in 2019. Successful harvests like that means they are able to provide healthy foods to families who need it most.
Highlights of their program include:
- One-acre Student-Led Garden on Methow Valley District Campus
- New Greenhouse and Production Farm
- Garden Programs Highlight Leadership, Science, Art, Mathematics, Foods and Nutrition Curriculum
- Garden Club After School Program
- Harvest of the Month in School Cafeterias
- Kids Summer Day Camps
- High School Internships
- Composting All Cafeteria Waste
- Worm and Compost Education
- Culinary Cultural Cooking Lessons
You can find all of their upcoming events and sign up to volunteer here:http://www.classroominbloom.org/help-us-grow
