Community Impact
At Green Our Planet, we know every big idea, big movement, big change starts with a single small seed. Through our programs, we improve children’s knowledge of food systems and our natural world, as well as foster meaningful community impact through sponsorships and partnerships.
Empowering the Curious
Achievements
Creation of Nevada’s First Garden STEM Curriculum to Next Generation Science Standards
Green Our Planet, in partnership with Three Square, was chosen from 400 applicants to receive an American Honda Foundation grant in February, 2014. With this grant, we created the first Pre-K-5 garden curriculum for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education in Nevada. The curriculum—designed by teachers for teachers—is aligned to Nevada State and Next Generation Science Standards and is now being taught in all elementary schools with outdoor garden classrooms. The curriculum has been continually revised by incorporating teacher feedback, and has been expanded to include nutrition and conservation lessons. It is now in its 3rd edition.
First School Garden Impact Survey
In 2015, Green Our Planet partnered with the University of Nevada Las Vegas Health Sciences Department and the CCSD to conduct the first school garden impact survey among schools with Outdoor Garden Classrooms. The survey was completed in September 2015. This is the first survey of its kind since 2002.
Water Conservation at Schools
In a joint partnership with the Southern Nevada Water Authority, Green Our Planet has helped schools remove water-intensive lawns and replace them with vegetable gardens, saving the Clark County School District more than 20 million gallons of water each year.
STEMworks Accreditation (2019)
In 2019, Green Our Planet’s Outdoor Garden Classroom STEM Program and Hydroponics STEM Program were evaluated by the national organization STEMworks, which conducts rigorous evaluations of STEM programming before recommending such programs nationally to governments, school districts, etc. In 2019, Green Our Planet’s garden programs became the first school garden programs in the United States to be accredited by STEMworks.
