Window of Opportunity Grant Project

E. B. Frink Middle School

102 MLK Jr. Drive, LaGrange, NC

Lenoir County

Project: Sustaining the Future

Application Request/Project Summary:

E. B. Frink Middle School

Project Type: Outdoor memorial garden & experiential learning space

Narrative / Scope of Work

The proposed project is the creation of a Holocaust Memorial Pollinator Garden on the school campus, designed and implemented with strong student involvement. This garden will focus on environmental sustainability while serving as a space for remembrance and reflection.

Purpose
The Holocaust Memorial Garden will serve as a student-designed, environmentally sustainable outdoor learning space that intentionally connects Holocaust remembrance with environmental stewardship. Fully aligned with North Carolina’s focus on environmental sustainability education, this project emphasizes hands-on learning, collaboration, recycling, and ecological responsibility while deepening students’ understanding of history, empathy, and civic action.

Students in grades 6–8 will actively participate in site planning, garden design, budgeting, material selection, construction, and ongoing maintenance, ensuring the project is both educational and environmentally impactful.

Key Learnings Intended

Understanding the Holocaust through themes of remembrance, resilience, and moral responsibility
Recognizing how caring for the environment reflects responsibility toward community and humanity
Learning sustainability concepts including native plants, pollinators, soil health, recycling, and material reuse
Developing collaboration, planning, and problem-solving skills through authentic, project-based learning

Impact on Students

Increased engagement through hands-on, outdoor learning
Strengthened empathy and reflection through symbolic memorial design
Improved teamwork, leadership, and critical-thinking skills
Greater awareness of environmental stewardship and sustainability practices

Impact on School/Community

Beautifies school grounds with a pollinator-friendly memorial garden
Establishes a long-term outdoor learning environment aligned with sustainability goals
Provides a shared space for reflection, instruction, and service-learning activities