Staff Reports | Community Updates
At Redfield Elementary School, learning extends beyond the classroom and into the garden, where students have opportunities to get their hands dirty, ask questions and discover connections between growing food and living a healthy life.
Now, that learning is getting a boost from a community partner.
Redfield Elementary School has received a $5,000 grant from the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation to support the school’s garden and create additional opportunities for students to engage in hands-on learning about gardening, nutrition and healthy living, according to a press release.
The donation was presented during Sprouts Healthy Communities Day on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, at Sprouts Farmers Market.
For Redfield students, the school garden serves as an outdoor classroom where they can explore science, learn about food production and nutrition, and connect classroom lessons to hands-on activities.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation for investing in our students and our school gardens,” Redfield Elementary School Principal Amanda Rand said. “This grant will help us expand opportunities for students to learn through hands-on experiences, discover the joy of gardening, and develop a deeper understanding of nutrition and healthy living. We are excited to see how this support will help our garden grow and how our students will grow right alongside it.”
The grant will help the school purchase garden supplies, upgrade garden beds, improve irrigation systems, add tools and expand student programming. The enhancements will provide students with opportunities to participate in learning experiences that connect classroom concepts to the world around them.
Through the school garden, students can develop skills in collaboration, problem-solving and responsibility while exploring where food comes from and how healthy choices support their well-being.
“We believe some of the most meaningful learning happens when students can see, touch, and experience what they are learning,” Scottsdale Unified School District Superintendent Scott Menzel said. “We are grateful to the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation for supporting Redfield Elementary and helping create opportunities for students to learn about nutrition, gardening, and healthy living in such a hands-on way. Partnerships like this help our schools provide enriching experiences that inspire curiosity and support student success.”
The donation is part of Sprouts Healthy Communities Day, an annual event during which the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation awards grants to nonprofit partners across the country. On Sept. 19, more than 550 nonprofit organizations shared $2.75 million in funding to support programs focused on nutrition education, gardening, cooking and healthy living.
The grant is expected to support garden improvements and expand student participation in gardening, nutrition and healthy living activities.
