Amy Jagodnik

When Amy Jagodnik’s children were students at Horace Mann Elementary School in Washington, DC, she volunteered to cultivate school partnerships with DC Greens, Shelburne Farms and Center for Ecoliteracy. As the School Improvement Team Chairperson, she directed numerous sustainable and green initiatives that resulted in the school’s 2017 Gold LEED certi cation. In 2010 the school hired Jagodnik to be the garden coordinator at Horace Mann Elementary School with a population of over 400 students ages 4–12. She has developed a year-round school garden program with 16 tower gardens, seven beehives, a developing fruit orchard, and egg-laying hens plus chicks. Twice weekly she teaches the youngest students in the garden. Middle-school classes focus on food production, healthy eating, and waste management. The executive director of Casey Trees noted in his letter of recommendation that Jagodnik organized an event for 400 students emphasizing the importance of trees, and in 2017 she was recognized with Casey Tree’s Canopy Award for Education.

Funded by Lorill Haynes, Trustees’ Garden Club, Zone VIII