Joseph Neal STEAM Academy offers an immense garden for students to use in their study of agricultural engineering. Aligned with our educational standards, it provides a unique learning experience through hands-on activities. Students are tasked with selecting appropriate crops to be grown in local conditions, sowing seeds and maintaining the plants during the growth cycle. Students are then rewarded with a successful harvest of their selected crops. This innovative approach to education is a great experience for all students as the crops grow and mature just as each individual does. 

All of our students utilize the garden from kindergarten through fifth grade. We utilize a curriculum unique to each grade level. Students learn what a seed needs to grow and flourish. They are completely immersed in the process from choosing seeds that will grow in Las Vegas during the fall and spring, to caring for them and researching the appropriate time to harvest. Students enjoy the fruits of their labor through farmer's markets and sampling their vegetables. They take pride in their work and learn how to grow their own food and sustain a healthy lifestyle. 

Our garden began from the support of Garden Farms and Green Our Planet. We started with four beds and planted four trees. We received a grant from Lowes to expand our garden. We were able to add eight additional beds, seal and decorate them, add a brick pathway, a teaching center and four trees. We also removed the grass for the second phase of our garden. Currently, we are growing our very own pumpkin patch! We would love to add additional beds in a creative way, so more students can plant. We will also add a fence around the perimeter.

We were able to purchase a laser engraver to continue to fund our garden through the sale of
personalized pavers. They are on sale throughout the year for $20 each. These funds are used in the garden to continue to expand and improve it. Check out our garden pathway for family and student pavers.