CommunityGrows

Our mission is to cultivate healthy youth through growing gardens in diverse, low-income communities.

Our Seed to Mouth Environmental and Nutrition Education classes provide the physical and mental space for kids to connect with the environment through safe community and school gardens in their neighborhoods. Digging in the dirt, they learn about nutrients and microorganisms in healthy soil. By planting, tending, and caring for plants they learn that all living things need care, nutrients, sunlight, and love. Through meditation in classes we help counteract the onslaught of outside influences, negativity, self-doubt, and give them the strength to go out and combat the systemic injustices they face every day. Our classes also help young people learn the basics of nutrition and how to make healthy meals using readily accessible, affordable whole foods; and help them gain the confidence to make healthy foods a part of their everyday lives. Our teen program provides paid workforce readiness training for youth who are generally unable to take unpaid training opportunities, allowing them to earn money while they learn skills to jump-start a meaningful career and learn about environmental and food justice issues.