The Butler Area School Board accepted a $70,000 grant for their ‘Growing a Green Future’ project at Summit Township and Broad Street elementary schools at a Monday meeting.

The Remake Learning Moonshot Grant will fund the implementation of an agricultural program at the elementary schools for the benefit of their surrounding communities. This will include funding produce greenhouses at Summit and the building of an herb garden and community market for Broad Street.

According to Julie Hopp, director of curriculum and instruction, Summit Elementary kicked off its ‘CAPS’ program, or Community Agricultural Partnership at Summit, last Friday. Community members, parents and staff discussed projects for this program to implement in the coming three years. The agricultural program is to be infused with other facets of the school’s existing curriculum.

There are plans to set up the greenhouses on Summit’s campus starting next year. Students will harvest the produce from these greenhouses for a community market at Broad Street Elementary.

According to Superintendent Brian White, Butler is known as a “food desert” since community members have to travel significantly to reach a grocery store. With the Moonshot Grant funding a community market, there’s an opportunity to aid this issue.

“The goal is to get community members in collaboration with schools,” White said.

Hopp said final plans regarding the community market are still in the works, but there are hopes to include a community space for outreach programs that involve the outdoors.

“We’re hoping to draw in the community and survey their wants and needs,” Hopp said.

Multiple raised garden beds and fruit trees have been planted and are already contributing to the “Green Future” vision at Summit.