Sophia Academy

Located on a busy road in Providence, RI, Sophia Academy is a small urban school for girls from economically disadvantaged families. Before it became Sophia Academy, the historic building was a bank and later a storage facility.  While the interior is a well-maintained and engaging space, the garden beds and playground lawn are mostly dirt. The grant will help the Perennial Planters Garden Club restore the school’s limited green space for the benefit of its students and the community at large. 

The funds will also support the Mammoth Sunflower Project, part of the science curriculum on the life cycle of plants, and help establish a native nectar and milkweed garden as a learning tool.  The grant will help provide irrigation, planting beds, gardening equipment and plant material.  Students and club members will compost, deadhead, weed, fertilize, and plant bulbs, seeds and natives. Club members will also help mentor students, sharing knowledge of gardening, creating enthusiasm, and supporting their academic, environmental and personal goals.