School or Community Site
Mountain Valley Community Garden
Physical Address
60 Highland Terrace
Mexico, Maine 04257
Contact Name
Hillary Cayer
Email
hcayer@rsu10.org
Category
Vegetable and herb Garden, Flowers and ornamentals, Greenhouse or hoop house, Composting
When was your garden project started?
2026
What type of facility hosts your garden?
Public school PreK-8
What programs does your garden project include?
Connection, this is going to be more of a therapeutic garden space working with the social worker
Does your garden have a paid coordinator?
No
Who volunteers in your garden?
School staff
How is your garden project funded?
Not funded yet
What community connections do you have?
Local landscapers
Who tends the garden when school’s out?
School staff
What are your future goals?
The goal of the Mountain Valley Community School Garden is to provide a safe, supportive, and inclusive outdoor space that promotes social-emotional learning, emotional regulation, and overall well-being for students.
What is your most significant need?
The most significant need at Mountain Valley Community School is increased support for students’ social-emotional well-being, particularly in the areas of emotional regulation, stress management, and positive coping skills.
Students are experiencing heightened levels of anxiety, emotional dysregulation, and difficulty maintaining focus and positive peer interactions, which impacts both academic engagement and school climate. Currently, the school has limited outdoor spaces designed intentionally for regulation and social-emotional learning.
There is a need for a trauma-informed, accessible environment where students can safely practice coping strategies, build resilience, and receive social work support in a way that feels natural, supportive, and inclusive.
