Gardopia Gardens

Gardopia Gardens mission is to teach communities the importance of practicing wellness in their daily lives. Through gardening we create an educated, healthy, and environmentally sustainable society. Gardopia Gardens was founded in 2015 by Stephen Lucke, a 25 year old college graduate who studeied biochemistry and nutrition. While in college, Stephen learned about the obesity epidemic, and thought that gardening was a way to address increasing access / consumption of fresh proudce, and a way to increase physical activity; two key factors leading to overweight and obesity in the youth and adult populations. Stephen started a garden at his university in 2012, and engaged students and facuty throughout the college in garden-based learning. Once Stephen had developed a successful program at UIW, he took the program into one of San Antonio's most disenfranchised communities on the Eastside of San Antonio. Working with UIW Faculty and Students, Gardopia was born, and implemted garden-based learning in schools, churches, community centers, and more. Gardopia now has a physical location in the heart of the Eastside, and provides education, health, and environmental programming throughout the city, with a key focus on youth programming.