Representing a collaborative effort between Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful, Gwinnett County Public Schools, Monarchs Across Georgia, and the Captain Planet Foundation, the Plant It Forward Program is responsible for the creation of edible and pollinator “learning gardens” at 11 schools throughout the county. Today, Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful is pleased to announce that a $10,000 grant from The Primerica Foundation will allow GCB to expand the program to five additional schools in Gwinnett.

“Primerica is an incredible partner to Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful,” said Schelly Marlatt, GCB Executive Director. “Their teams often volunteer for cleanup and recycling events and – most recently – they were the Presenting Sponsor for our 2018 Governor’s Environmental Address. We are truly grateful to The Primerica Foundation for awarding us with this grant. It will allow us to expand our school-based learning garden program even further. Following its first year of operation, Plant It Forward witnessed some truly awesome results. To date, over 5,100 volunteers putting in more than 10,500 volunteer hours to build, plant, maintain and harvest the gardens. Since the project launch in September 2017, more than 1200 pollinators – including bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, and wasps – were recorded in the gardens at the initial 11 campuses, and over 86 pounds of edible produce were collected. Through Plant It Forward, not only are we teaching students the important role that pollinators play in our eco-system and how cool it is to be sustainable by growing your own food, we are literally fostering the next generation of environmental stewards right here in our own backyard.”

Participating schools in the Plant It Forward program since its inception include: Grayson and Meadowcreek High, Couch and Radloff Middle, Pharr, Grayson, Trip, Starling, Ferguson, Nesbit and Rockbridge Elementary Schools. Five schools are being added to the Plant It Forward program this school year thanks to The Primerica Foundation Grant Program. Pollinators attracted to the gardens are recorded and produce from the edible gardens are harvested, weighed and tasted by the students. Any excess produce is donated to the local food co-op.