Vanessa, a passionate advocate for outdoor education and sustainable living, has dedicated her career to teaching youth how to grow and cook their own food. Her journey began in 2015, fueled by a childhood interest that evolved into a lifelong commitment. Vanessa seized the opportunity to channel her enthusiasm into …
In the heart of San Francisco's Western Addition neighborhood lies a vibrant hub of growth and learning—the Rosa Parks school garden. At the core of its flourishing existence stands the Green Team, a dedicated group of parents committed to nurturing this thriving oasis. Among these passionate individuals is Doug, whose …
In the heart of the East Bay, a vibrant and passionate Guatemalan artist named Rene is making waves with a project that is not only visually stunning but also deeply rooted in social change. Rene's journey as an artist has been a path of self-discovery, community connection, and a commitment …
The BEETs (Band of Environmentally Educated and Employable Teens) program at CommunityGrows is led by Kunal Palawat, who describes themselves as a Desi gardener, critical environmental justice researcher, and cook. They bring multiple years of experiential education, community organizing, and scientific research experience to CommunityGrows. More than that though, they …
Summer classes have officially ended, and our garden educators spent 6 weeks teaching students from kindergarten through 6th grade about gardening and cooking skills. It was fun, challenging, and therapeutic. In the beginning, “several students didn't show interest in gardening activities” said Oliv, our garden educator at Rosa Parks Elementary. …
I joined BEETs on a reference by my teacher. I joined for the sole reason on how they interacted with nature. It was something I had grown interested in, something I wanted to explore. Nature was depleting every single day, and my anxiety over climate change had really pushed me …
This December, Salad Day has made a comeback into the gardens at Rosa Parks Elementary and for the first time ever at Leonard Flynn Elementary in San Francisco. Vegetables that were planted by students in the beginning of the school year were used in combination with other organic seasonal fruits …
After weeks of planning, we still can’t believe how time flew by so quickly that we are halfway through December. CommunityGrows staff had the opportunity of safely participating in-person at two holiday events in the Western Addition community these past weeks and we want to share the holiday cheer with …
Our CommunityGrow's VISTAS are members of the Americorps VISTA program. The VISTA program started in 1965 and serves in all 50 U.S. states and U.S. territories. Through capacity building activities such as fundraising, grant writing, research, and volunteer recruitment AmeriCorps members in the VISTA program serve in an office setting …
On a beautiful sunny day, I hear cheerful little voices slowly beginning to approach the garden. Two small classes of kindergarten students from John Muir Elementary are coming to learn in person at the Koshland Community Garden. Our CommunityGrows garden educator, Ms. Cristina, greets the children with enthusiasm and explains …