CINCINNATI — Woodford Academy in Kennedy Heights is asking the community for help funding a fence around its school garden, a project aimed at making the outdoor learning space safer and more inclusive for students with autism.
The school's garden beds sit just outside the building, bordered by a busy road and a parking lot. Students are currently using the space to plant vegetables and flowers, but school leaders say a secure fence is needed before all students can safely share it.
"At Woodford Academy, we are home to many, many neurodivergent students. We have all the way down to preschool, all the way up to sixth-grade units that have students with autism, a varying range of needs, some are more severe than others. others, including behaviors like elopement, meaning they leave spaces or run," said Principal Kaitlin Dauner.
The school has launched a Garden Fence Campaign with a goal of raising $4,180. The garden operates in partnership with the Kennedy Heights Community Council.
WATCH: Woodford Academy turns to the community for support in funding a garden fence
Students participate in the garden club daily, and at times, classrooms will plant their own garden.
Sarah Rose, a parent and garden club volunteer whose first-grade child has autism, said students are hoping to transplant a growing tower into the garden. She said the fence would protect both the children and the plants.
"What I love about Woodford is that they do make it inclusive for all the kids to come together, like the garden club. It makes me happy, because who doesn't want their children to have friends, and I want my son to have all the friends he can get," Rose said.
Rose says parents can also sign up to volunteer.
"I have a fence in my front yard because of the fear of my autistic child running away, and that's the biggest reason we need the fence, is for the safety of the special needs children here at Woodford, because some children do need special extra help with boundaries, and this is going to help the staff, the teachers as well," Rose said.
The planned fence would include safety locks and interactive elements. Michelle Leisgang, who works with the students directly, said the garden environment supports the way many children with autism learn best.
"Kiddos with autism often learn through hands-on experiences, and so for them to be out here having the gloves and the shovels and exploring the dirt and playing in this area is a natural way for them to learn and explore the environment and to build upon those skills," Leisgang said.
Community members can also support the campaign by renting a garden plot or bed for the summer through the Kennedy Heights Community Council.
You can donate at the Kennedy Heights Community Council website. In your donation note, include “Woodford Fence” so your gift goes directly to Woodford Academy’s special education program.
"We'd like to thank Woodford Academy for letting us use their campus, which is beautiful. If you haven't been here, you should come check it out. We also would like to thank the Civic Garden Center for the grant and the Pleasant Ridge Garden Club for their support as well," said Abby Burton, with the Kennedy Heights Community Council.
