Hopes & Dreams Room

Today, we went to Cyclovia, a Bicycle - Pedestrian event where five miles of streets were closed to all but Bike - Ped traffic. It was a virtual parade of bicycles! We also visited a Demonstration Garden, one of the Cyclovia activities.

The Hopes & Dreams Room is associated with the Garden. It is a preschool classroom for 4 and 5 year olds with a cozy reading corner, a faux fireplace and pictures of the children?s families prominently displayed. And the heart of it all is the garden!

The project is planted through the University of Arizona?s School Garden Program. Children tend the garden, learning to grow food, prepare meals, and help supply a community food bank. The garden helps connect the children to their families and local environment as well as to their culture in a learning climate. It also provides a training ground for Student Interns from the UA.

The blonde lady is Paula, teacher of the Parent and Child Education preschool in an impoverished neighborhood where 95% of the students qualify for school lunches. Paula is an energized and passionate advocate of the program. She is a Dynamo as well as a photographer!