Over a decade of grassroots school greening.
From a neighborhood tree-planting crew in Oakland to school gardens and farms across four East Bay districts. Here is how we got here.
Community tree planting
Growing Together is founded in Oakland as a fiscally sponsored project, powered by a community of neighbors planting trees across the city.
First school-based projects
The work expands beyond tree planting into the first youth job-training and internship programs and our first school garden installations.
Greening & education become core
A leadership handoff from founder Mallika Nair. Schoolyard greening and environmental education join tree planting as core programs, with nearly all work now on school campuses.
Early food access & a new trees model
First produce stands at school gardens seed our food-access work. We launch a school-facilitated model that helps families steward trees long after planting. Our trees program begins with a 4th grade class at Korematsu Discovery Academy.
Pandemic response
School and business closures shift our focus to fresh food. We partner with districts and funders to distribute produce and meals to thousands of families and seniors across the East Bay every week.
School-based farming launches
Farmer Oscar Cervantes works with students at Betty Reid Soskin Middle School to turn an unused baseball field into a one-acre farm, the start of our farm-to-school food system.
Schools reopen, demand grows
Work in schools resumes amid rising demand for green space and outdoor learning. Food-access programming continues through school produce distribution and CSA-style boxes.
California School Garden Coalition
With Ten Strands, we co-found the California School Garden Coalition to win dedicated state funding, now 80+ organizations serving an estimated 200,000 students statewide.
Building to scale
Our first year with a contracted facilities partnership and a licensed contractor on staff, plus WCCUSD and CalFire Green Schoolyards partnerships, lets us take on full schoolyard construction.
49 schools, second audit
We complete our second organizational audit and reach 11,590 students across 49 schools in four districts. West Contra Costa Unified names us Partner of the Year.
Where we go next
Bringing our model to entire districts at a time, and helping pass the first state budget ever dedicated to garden education in California.