Earth Day volunteers at Magnolia Science Academy in Northridge pulled weeds, assembled planter boxes, cleaned up loose snack wrappers — and sowed seeds of climate consciousness in their elementary-aged helpers.
“This gives us a chance to do something so beyond the four walls of a classroom,” said Meagan Wittek, the school’s principal, on Saturday, April 20. “It allows kids to tap into their passions and be in nature.”
The event in Northridge was one of four beautification days held at Magnolia Science Academy locations within the Magnolia Public Schools network. In all, more than 200 volunteers gathered at the schools, from Koreatown to Reseda, and worked to “greenify” each site.
“We’ve been nurturing the school environment and I love being involved in it,” parent volunteer Katerina Nadejova said. “It’s super important for me to come out and support.”
One of the projects was the creation of a “literacy garden” — a dedicated area for students to sit outside and read or do homework while surrounded by native plants.
“I absolutely see how kids, especially (the younger) ones, all they want to do is be outside,” said volunteer Julia Fonteca, an afterschool program coordinator. “They never want to be inside. If all they had outside was dirt, they wouldn’t be as enthusiastic about school, so our consistent upkeep of the outdoors is so important.”
The beatification days at Magnolia Public Schools were one of many Earth Day events this week, with Angelenos across the city donning gardening gloves and grabbing trash bags to support the urban environment.
Not all of the Earth Day volunteers at Magnolia Public Schools were parents, students or teachers, with dozens of outside volunteers showing up to support the projects. Wittek said community partnerships are “crucial for a school site to thrive.”
Several initiatives at the Northridge site, such as a monthly financial literacy class for parents and a weekly garden club, were spurred by offers to volunteer from community members who wanted to lend a hand, according to Wittek.
Parent volunteer Patricia Lopez said volunteering for her 5-year-old daughter’s school activities can be difficult due to her work schedule as a full-time nanny. The Earth Day event, because it was held on a Saturday, allowed Lopez to get involved.
“It’s great for her to see that we are a big part of taking care of where we live and making her school pretty,” Lopez said. “For me, it’s important to participate, even though it’s hard to.”
The Magnolia Public Schools projects were organized with help from the nonprofit volunteer network L.A. Works, as well as the California Climate Action Corps, a statewide volunteer program from the Office of the Governor. Saturday’s beautification events marked the second year of this partnership.
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“If we can make a difference and mobilize volunteers, we can move the needle forward when it comes to the climate,” said Raymond McAnally, the Outreach Coordinator for L.A. Works.
A recent graduate of Magnolia Science Academy in Northridge, 12-year-old Sophia Prada said she volunteered to “make a big impact, because the Earth is where we live, It’s a nice thing to do and to show the little kids.”
