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Gardens change youth.
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Learning, growing, and eating in the garden unlocks the inherent genius in everyone. Genius isn't just about book smarts, it's about reconnecting with our health, our family, our community, and the Earth. Drawing together Food Forests, Zero Waste, and Water Wise concepts, the program currently works at schools in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties to measurably improve student health, academics and well-being.
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Health
By the age of 20, one in three elementary students will be overweight, and four in ten will have type II diabetes. We are changing that, by growing food which makes nutrition fun and personal.
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Academics
Outdoor, living-laboratories and project-based-learning bridge textbooks and the real world. Gardens can help youth who struggle with learning science to increase test scores by up to 17%.
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Wellbeing
In a time when more students than ever feel disconnected from their school and community, gardens bring people together to make a difference, and give space for exploration and play.
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Get started with Earth Genius at your school!
Step 1: Choose what program tier is right for your school.
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Earth Genius On the Go:
A GEM travels to the school site once a month. They offer hands on lessons, follow up materials, a school garden site evaluation with staff once per school year, and provides resources when possible to staff and volunteers seasonally to support garden maintenance. Earth Genius Standard (Recommended): A GEM spends 10 hours each week doing garden maintenance, teaching at least 3 lessons, coordinating with teachers and the PTA/O, and supporting the green team. They will lead 2 community workdays per year, booth at open house, and write a monthly newsletter for the community. |
Earth Genius Lite:
A GEM spends 20 hours/month devoted to your school. They offer garden maintenance, project implementation, curriculum support, and lead hands-on lessons every other week. We offer one teacher training, collaboration with PTA/O, and facilitation of one garden work party per school year. Earth Genius Supreme:
A GEM spends 15/hrs per week doing all things mentioned in the standard program, plus they will help the school obtain their green ribbon certification and will conduct a school-wide waste audit. This level ensures maximum support for schools who want to integrate our program. |
Step 2: Pick your add ons.
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Family Cooking Night ($300 for up to 15 families)
OCE led family cooking night including all ingredients, materials, recipes and instruction. Additional Garden Workdays ($150 per workday) 2 hr OCE led workday with outside volunteer recruitment and organization. Grow, Cook, Eat After School Program ($75 per 1hr session) Up to 10 students can participate in this after school garden program. Farmers Markets ($85 per market) This is a donation-based stand to provide garden produce to families. Includes PTA coordination and marketing materials. 1 School Site Waste Audit ($100) GEM leads a full-day waste audit, engaging each class for sorting plus an assembly/announcement to share data! |
Green Team Trainings and Coordination ($400)
2 staff and student trainings per year plus 40 hrs of coordination/GEM support. School Site Consultation ($65 per consultation) Self assessment survey & review, overview of funding models, facilitate Initial meetings and action planning, and garden committee formation support. Teacher Training ($250) 1.5 hours of virtual, self directed information plus 1.5 hours of in-person, site specific session. and Q+A. |
Step 4: Fund the program.
Our Program is paid for by the School District, the School itself, PTA/Os, and with support of grants and foundation funding.
School Program Fees are as follows for the different program tiers:
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EG Lite: $3,500 per year
EG Standard: $6,000 per year
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EG On the Go: $1,000 per year
EG Supreme: $10,000 per year
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District Support Fees are as follows for the different numbers of schools participating in the district:
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$7,500 per year for 1-3 schools
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$10,000 per year for 4-7 schools
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$15,000+ per year for 8+ schools
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Have Questions?
How do I know what tier is right for my school?
If you need clarification on what tier is right for you, you can reach out and we will send you a quick survey that will help you make an informed decision.
What kind of curriculum is taught?
Our Earth Genius Curriculum is designed to support NGSS performance expectations and centered around three themes: Zero Waste, Water Wise, and Food Forest. What that means is your Educator will lead hands-on environmental and nutrition lessons and nature connection activities, all while meeting high academic standards.
What qualifications do your Garden Education Managers have?All of our Garden Education Managers are Fingerprinted, trained in social-emotional learning, and complete a Mandated Reporting Training and Food Handlers training. Additionally, we only hire the most qualified Educators with experience working with kids and managing gardens. The have an in-depth training at the start of the year, plus monthly follow-up trainings to reinforce expectations and deepen their expertise.
How will my teachers be supported?
Teachers have the opportunity to participate in Teacher Trainings, they are able to reach out to the Garden Education Manager any time, plus they have access to a huge database of lesson plans, video lessons, resource guides, and more on our website.
How does the program integrate into the school outside of the garden?
We believe that our program creates a culture of environmental literacy and stewardship on campus, especially when there is the addition of a Green Team on campus and teachers are well trained on how to use our resources for their own lessons. Our Educators empower student led project based learning that can happen in the cafeteria, near storm drains and impermeable surfaces, and more. The campus and its systems are a tool to address food, water, and waste as a whole community!
Are garden supplies covered in the price of the program?
Depending on the size of the garden, we recommend and request a minimum of $400 to a maximum of $1500 for general garden budget supplies. Some supplies will be provided within the cost of the program, but we always encourage the PTA/Os to pitch in for extra projects that might be more costly - for example new tools, construction of a rain capture system, or special project supplies.
What add-ons can I request at my school?
Glad you asked! We have many items that can be purchased as additional opportunities for your school. These include Family Cooking Nights, Waste Audits, Seasonal Farmers Markets and more! We also have extensive online resources that can be accessed for free.
What if my school or district can't cover certain costs? What other options are there?
Luckily, as a Non Profit Organization, we are able to help schools and districts take advantage of many grants and sponsorship opportunities that are available. We are happy to talk about funding opportunities that may support the sustainability of our partnership if need be.
If you need clarification on what tier is right for you, you can reach out and we will send you a quick survey that will help you make an informed decision.
What kind of curriculum is taught?
Our Earth Genius Curriculum is designed to support NGSS performance expectations and centered around three themes: Zero Waste, Water Wise, and Food Forest. What that means is your Educator will lead hands-on environmental and nutrition lessons and nature connection activities, all while meeting high academic standards.
What qualifications do your Garden Education Managers have?All of our Garden Education Managers are Fingerprinted, trained in social-emotional learning, and complete a Mandated Reporting Training and Food Handlers training. Additionally, we only hire the most qualified Educators with experience working with kids and managing gardens. The have an in-depth training at the start of the year, plus monthly follow-up trainings to reinforce expectations and deepen their expertise.
How will my teachers be supported?
Teachers have the opportunity to participate in Teacher Trainings, they are able to reach out to the Garden Education Manager any time, plus they have access to a huge database of lesson plans, video lessons, resource guides, and more on our website.
How does the program integrate into the school outside of the garden?
We believe that our program creates a culture of environmental literacy and stewardship on campus, especially when there is the addition of a Green Team on campus and teachers are well trained on how to use our resources for their own lessons. Our Educators empower student led project based learning that can happen in the cafeteria, near storm drains and impermeable surfaces, and more. The campus and its systems are a tool to address food, water, and waste as a whole community!
Are garden supplies covered in the price of the program?
Depending on the size of the garden, we recommend and request a minimum of $400 to a maximum of $1500 for general garden budget supplies. Some supplies will be provided within the cost of the program, but we always encourage the PTA/Os to pitch in for extra projects that might be more costly - for example new tools, construction of a rain capture system, or special project supplies.
What add-ons can I request at my school?
Glad you asked! We have many items that can be purchased as additional opportunities for your school. These include Family Cooking Nights, Waste Audits, Seasonal Farmers Markets and more! We also have extensive online resources that can be accessed for free.
What if my school or district can't cover certain costs? What other options are there?
Luckily, as a Non Profit Organization, we are able to help schools and districts take advantage of many grants and sponsorship opportunities that are available. We are happy to talk about funding opportunities that may support the sustainability of our partnership if need be.