Burke is one of six schools in Lafayette Parish with gardens that receive financial and hands-on support from the Lafayette Parish Master Gardeners program, the LSU AgCenter, Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service and the Lafayette Parish School System. This year, those efforts have been boosted by a Walmart Foundation Health Living grant for schools that focus on exercise and nutritional lessons for students.

So far this year, more than 700 students are involved in the schools gardens at: Burke, L. Leo Judice Elementary, Judice Middle, Carencro Middle, W.D. Smith Career Center and St. Thomas More Catholic High School, said Charles Hebert, a county agent with the LSU AgCenter who oversees the 4-H Youth Development program in Lafayette Parish.

Burke Elementary hosted a gathering of the Lafayette Parish Master Gardeners last week. The group has provided funding and its expertise to the students. Master gardeners work directly with schools as "advisers" or "enablers" and have provided nearly 300 volunteer hours at the schools, Hebert said in a presentation given at Burke last week.

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