Advocacy

The Nonprofit Teaching Students to Grow Food at Home

Big Green works in schools across the country connecting kids with nourishing food through education and supplies.

A national nonprofit, Big Green is on a mission to create healthy places where kids can learn and grow by connecting them with real food through a network of 650 Learning Gardens in Denver, Chicago, Los Angeles, Memphis, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, and Detroit.

And now that virtual learning has become the new normal across the country, keeping students healthy at home can be a challenge. Among the hardest hit are marginalized communities where access to affordable, nutritious foods is scarce or nonexistent.

Group of Young Children Planting Flowers

This year, the organization launched Big Green at Home, an online hub where students and their families and teachers can go to stay connected with one another. These resources are designed to immerse children in food literacy, with remote-learning or self-paced study options. Delivered directly to subscribers’ inboxes each month completely free of charge, Big Green at Home provides lessons and activities that foster intellectual exploration and encourage hands-on learning. Students are exposed to a variety of topics from kitchen-scrap gardening to challenging the food system and concepts in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), reading, physical education, nutrition, health, art, and more. Some of their January activities included a delicious West African soup recipe, a guide to teaching kids how to meal prep, and an extra cool series with soil scientist Dr. Akilah Martin that even involved experiments (sign me up!). The best part? No matter where you are, you can join and connect with thousands of families that are making this time at home special by bringing their children closer to the kitchen.

Read more: What Does Leave No Trace Mean?

Young Boy Harvesting Vegetables At A Learning Garden

In an effort to support their mission, Avocado and Big Green teamed up for a fruitful holiday campaign to help feed families. From every purchase made from the end of November through December, we were able to provide garden kits to students across the country with Big Green’s “Little Green Gardens” project to help build food resiliency at home.

“Little Green Gardens” are easy-to-use growing systems that contain everything families need to grow their own food. Teachers with a class full of Little Green Gardeners lead synchronous virtual planting activities, design science experiments, and teach nutrition lessons that captivate their curious minds. As a result, Big Green is providing 4,000 students and families with three seasons’ worth of garden kits.

Young Girl Reusing Plastic Bottle As A Planter

Big Green is committed to making a real impact at home and in communities in need of improved food systems. You can start supporting the organization by taking action today. And if you want to help bring a Learning Garden to your community or find one near you, Big Green is here to help.

Christine is the Social Engagement Manager at Avocado. She enjoys connecting with our community and nonprofit partners. She shares her contagious passion for green living with a deep love for literature, sustainability, and adventures in the woods.