GivingTuesday is December 2nd.
Make a gift through CanDo’s Give!Guide Napa Valley.
A few weeks ago, I was coaching a team of teachers at the school where the Dirt Girls program originated in 2016. The principal asked us to come to the cafeteria, where two former students were giving presentations about their journey through high school. One of them was an original participant in the Dirt Girls program. I hadn’t seen her since 2020, so I went to say hello. She gave me a big hug and asked about Dirt Girls. I learned that she’s involved with Napa Schools for Climate Action and interning with the Sierra Club. Her school had a thriving school garden.
When kids get their hands in the dirt early and often, they become the next generation of stewards. Napa School Gardens is a longstanding grassroots collective dedicated to nurturing school gardens and the educators who bring them to life. We know that when school gardens thrive, students thrive—experiencing hands-on lessons in science, sustainability, nutrition, and community.
But thriving gardens don’t happen by accident. Your support makes this possible.
Over the last decade, Napa School Gardens has taken many forms. From a handful of community volunteers to a network of teachers, Napa School Gardens is the founding purpose of our organization. Yet, it has never had a stable program budget. Our 2025 Give!Guide campaign is dedicated to raising $10,000 to expand the reach of our projects and deepen relationships with our partners.
Research shows that school gardens are three times more likely to succeed when they have adequate funding and a community partner. We also know that schools with strong garden committees and curriculum are four times more likely to maintain successful garden programs. We partner with several school sites, each with a unique approach. Through special grant-funded projects like the Monarch Education Project and programs like Dirt Girls, we share innovative ways to increase student engagement and maintain physical infrastructure. And when schools contact us, we respond with custom services and funding opportunities to keep them growing. Our Board members actively join garden committees—offering guidance, connections, and strategic support to help school sites grow with purpose.
A gift from you brings garden education to under-resourced schools, strengthens community ties, and gives students a living classroom they can return to season after season.
🌻 Donate today—help us plant the seeds for a greener, more connected future.
Make a gift through CanDo’s Give!Guide Napa Valley.
A School Garden Network: School garden programs need green thumbs. And that other kind of green.
Season of Giving: The School Garden Doctor helps support garden-based education in Napa
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