Now through Sept. 2, 2017, Arizona residents can fill out an application online to nominate their favorite elementary school for a chance to receive a learning garden at bashas.com or captainplanetfoundation.org/bashascontest.

Two elementary schools will receive a comprehensive Captain Planet Foundation Learning Garden, which is valued at $2,500. The Learning Garden comes complete with lesson kits, supplies to establish a schoolyard garden, a fully-equipped garden cooking cart, and strategies for garden maintenance. The Learning Garden program provides a context for multidisciplinary learning, ranging from nutrition and science to social studies, math and language arts. Students benefit by expanding their palates, taste-testing healthy foods, and learning about food origins.

This fall, the two elementary schools selected to receive learning gardens will be announced.

“Bashas’ and Food City have always been committed to supporting educational excellence, which is why we are excited to partner with Dole and the Captain Planet Foundation in a statewide contest that will award two Arizona schools a learning garden,” says Ashley Shick, Director of Communications & Public Affairs for Bashas’ Family of Stores. “The hands-on garden and the curriculum that goes with it have helped students all over the country to have a better understanding about where their food comes from, which is important to our family-owned grocery chain. We’re tremendously honored that Dole chose Bashas’ and Food City to bring this valuable program to Arizona.”