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Empower at the Bridge outlines plans to restore William Penn Healing Garden
Summary
The Empower at the Bridge Foundation presented its plan to restore the William Penn Healing Garden to the Harrisburg School District board, describing volunteer-built raised beds, an edible-classroom program and next steps to expand student engagement and hydroponic demonstrations. Board members pressed the group to increase outreach to Harrisburg students.
Gary Gileiam, chief executive officer of Empower at the Bridge Foundation, told the Harrisburg City School District Board on March 10 that his group has been restoring a greenhouse and surrounding fenced area at the William Penn campus to create an "edible classroom" for local students.
Gileiam said the William Penn Healing Garden project aimed to restore the greenhouse in a 45-by-90-foot fenced area, install raised and keyhole beds built from surplus materials, and develop programming that supports urban agriculture, workforce development and nutrition education. He said volunteers from Cumberland Valley, Milton Hershey School and Harrisburg Academy helped clear the site last year and that the foundation ran community events there, including an Easter egg hunt and a back-to-school giveaway.
The presentation described hurdles that delayed work: the group had difficulty finding an insurer willing to cover an abandoned-building site and experienced staff availability issues. Gileiam said insurance was secured last June and that the foundation used weed barrier, topsoil, compost, and creative pest deterrents to protect young plantings. He described using the greenhouse for seed starting, and said future phases could include hydroponic and aeroponic demonstrations and vertical farming systems.
Board members welcomed the project but asked Gileiam for more detail about local outreach. Miss Anderson and others pressed whether Harrisburg students were being engaged, and Gileiam said the group will prioritize local schools next season; he named Cumberland Valley, Milton Hershey and Harrisburg Academy as active partners and said Camp Curtain Middle School is nearby and a target for on-site classroom activities.
Gileiam asked the board to consider granting continued access to the William Penn site so the foundation can expand production in year two of the project and use the space as a demonstration and workforce-development site. Board members asked staff to track follow-up steps and requested a clearer plan and timeline before any formal district commitment.
The board did not take a vote at the meeting; the presentation was placed on the record and staff will follow up with additional program details and outreach plans.
