More than a Pumpkin Patch.

To kick off the fall season, the G.R.O.W. girls ventured out of their comfort zone within city living to spend a day on the farm! This trip took us on an adventure to Jeter Farm in Troutville, VA; a small country town filled with beautiful mountains and farms as far as the eye can see. This was a far cry from what the girls were used to, seeing as how none of them had ever experienced farm life. During our visit, the girls were able to feed farm animals such as goats, donkeys, and we even got to pet some miniature horses!
We then got to go on a hay ride that took us to the entrance to a corn maze. The maze was really cool because it was shaped like our state of Virginia and the girls used maps to find their way to the observation deck and then to the pumpkin patch. After getting lost a few times we finally made it to our destination of the pumpkin patch. We all got to pick out our very own pumkins and then the girls and I took another hayride back where we started. This was another very memorable trip for our girls and they had a great time seeing what "a day on the farm" might look like.

A Glimpse Outside of the Neighborhood

This spring the girls involved in this program passed all of their Standards of Learning tests with flying colors and as a reward the G.R.O.W girls traveled to Washington D.C. on August 4, 2008 to August 7, 2008, where they were immersed in the workings of our government, the nation’s history, and the many cultural opportunities it afforded. The girls were invited to tour the Supreme Court as guests of Justice Clarence Thomas and were invited to the Capitol as guests of Congressman Bob Goodlatte. The trip continued with visits to the Washington and World War II monuments and to the Holocaust Museum, to name a few. This was something none of them had ever done before. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our girls.