Students at Anzar High School will be making sure the booths are
organized and the food is fresh as they produce their first ever
Farmer’s Market Fair, Friday, May 14.
Students at Anzar High School will be making sure the booths are organized and the food is fresh as they produce their first ever Farmer’s Market Fair, Friday, May 14.
As part of the student learning program at Anzar, more than 40 students have been working hard to collect donations and organize the event.
“I think the students have really made a big effort,” Organizer Maryann McCormick said. “They’ve learned about event planning, dividing labor and networking with the community and small businesses.”
The students negotiated donations from local producers, including Coke Farms, Earthbound Farms and Tanimura & Antel. Along with the wide variety of fresh vegetables, the students have organized live music with two student groups, one teachers’ band and a community group. Arts and crafts booths will also be present, and student organizations such as the Anzar Recycling Club will hand out information about protecting the environment, hunger and nutrition. Athletic coaches from Anzar will also be offering sports clinics at the fair for middle school students, including instruction on volleyball, basketball, soccer and baseball.
The students have been working on the project since January, and McCormick said it has been a great experience for them.
“This project has given them real life experience,” she said. “The skills they’re learning are tools they’ll need in the real world.”
Because this is part of the service learning program, the students working on the project will receive school credit for their hard work.
Anzar Principal Charlene McKowan said the project, which has been funded this year by the Center For Research on Education, Diversity and Excellence (CREDE), has been structured in a way so that it can continue for years after the funding runs out.
“We’re really excited about this,” she said. “And the infrastructure has been set up in a way that we hope it can continue for years to come.”
Earlier in the year, the group took a field trip to the Monterey Farmer’s Market to get ideas and learn more about organization, and some students toured organic farms to learn the difference in growing techniques.
Junior Sarah Al-Ahmed said this project has strengthened her leadership skills, and she’s excited about next week.
“This whole project has been pretty stressful but overall rewarding,” she said. “I’m hoping the community benefits from it. We’ve got students from Aromas and San Juan here, so hopefully an event like this can bring the two communities together.”
A large portion of the money raised from the fair will be donated to the Community Pantry.
“It feels a lot better knowing the money is going to a good cause rather than throwing a pizza party,” Al-Ahmed said.
The market will be open at Anzar High School from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. For more
information, call 623-7660.
