7th Graders Celebrate Continued Success on Cultural Garden Initiatives

Fresh off the heels of last month’s unanimous approval of their long-term master plan for the American Cultural Garden, Hawken 7th graders this week secured a notable commitment from Cleveland’s Water Commission to establish an efficient and timely procedure to expand access to water for gardens throughout the cultural garden corridor.

Seventh Grade students Andrew Gerace, David Kim, and Anna Shaulis worked with their faculty advisor Anna Tuttle to respond to a recent request from the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation for assistance in pursing the Federation’s decades-old desire to bring water to gardens currently lacking access. The group researched the issue and promptly secured a meeting with of Cleveland’s Water Commissioner to discuss what could be done to expedite the Federation’s needs. Students made a clear and articulate presentation of these needs to Interim Water Commissioner Alex Margevicius and his staff, and came away with a firm commitment of partnership with the Federation.

“We’ve been working on gaining water access for years,” noted Sheila Murphy Crawford, President of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation, “and are so thankful for the assistance of Hawken’s persuasive students!”

The students will announce their accomplishment at the March meeting of the Garden Federation and anticipate further partnering with the Federation and the Water Commission to establish a prioritized and equitable protocol for bringing water access to the gardens. With a little luck, Commissioner Margevicius plans to celebrate the opening of a fully functional water flush box in the American Cultural Garden at the annual 7th Grade Garden Picnic on Friday, May 24.

Congratulations to these students and the entire 7th Grade!