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This 96-hour High School Intensive was born from a vision by the Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation's concern about the city’s limited access to fresh foods, lack of eco-literacy among the local youth, and animal habitat loss due to the city’s rapid development. They saw a need for urgent action. Thus, a powerful collaboration emerged to create a youth workforce development program. Partnering with Oregon State University’s Permaculture Department, Beyond Organic Design took the lead in crafting the curriculum — a 96-hour deep dive into permaculture concepts, design, whole-systems thinking, and community education skills. In this program, mornings are dedicated to hands-on work in both public and private sites around the community. Afternoons are dedicated to diving into the curriculum, building technical skills in permaculture design and sustainable solutions. Upon successful completion, students will receive a certificate from OSU, a testament to their dedication and a powerful stepping stone towards a career in sustainability. We believe these young designers will become the driving force behind a greener future for all! Our program is set to be launched this Summer, after which the curriculum will be open-source. Follow us to stay up to date! Want to support this work? We are developing a year-long Permaculture High School elective, but we need YOU! Visit the program's website to learn more. Your generous, 100% tax-deductible investment will directly fund the education of our future leaders. Join us on this journey of transformation. CLICK HERE TO INVEST NOW!
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Our 2024 Intensive was a smash hit as we learned about our food system and toured students around NYC to explore food from many angles!
When Stacy Gauthier, The Renaissance Charter School (TRCS) principal, met the Director of Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens, they discussed the organization’s new leasing of a rooftop farm. The former production farm would now be used for educational purposes. Both loved the idea of creating a unique opportunity for students to design the farm for sustainability and interact with farmers. Stacey reached out to Monica and thus our Permaculture Design Lab was born! A 24-part afterschool internship, called the Leadership Program at TRCS, is a for high school program happening from October to May. We kicked off this academic year with a field trip to Sky Farm, the very farm our students are tasked with designing. Located in Queens, Sky Farm was once a production farm. Now, it has transformed into a vibrant community hub offering a glimpse into a more harmonious future. At BOD, we believe experiential learning is a powerful tool. Through hands-on projects, we instill the core ethics of permaculture: 1. Caring for the Earth 2. Caring for people 3. Designing for abundance The impact of this program has been profound. We've witnessed firsthand the excitement it ignites in our students and the steady dedication of TRCS teacher, Ariel Sacks, who leads the program. In her 20 years of experience as a Language Arts teacher, Ariel has observed increasing climate anxiety and depression among her students. She took on the challenge to teach our program, and found it has been an illuminating experience that has successfully instilled hope for the future in our class. The Permaculture Design Lab is an amazing program but we want to SCALE UP! We are developing a year-long Permaculture elective and need YOUR help to make it happen! Visit our fundraiser to make a 100% tax-deductible investment NOW!
In 2019, when Camille and Monica met as fellows for the Sierra Club, they immediately connected over their work with youth. This shared passion blossomed into a partnership with Little Growers INC, a grassroots organization in Melbourne, Florida.
Melbourne faces several environmental issues. It's a declared food desert, meaning access to fresh food is scarce. The Indian River Lagoon, a vital waterway, is under threat, a near-dead zone. Summers are hotter and dryer than ever, a result of climate change. And the ever-looming shadow of rising sea levels threatens to displace thousands of residents. But within these challenges, a seed of hope was planted. Together with Little Growers, BOD designed an "Intro to Permaculture" class as part of their "Earn and Learn" Summer program. Students aged 12 to 17 learned about the Indian River Lagoon and permaculture-based solutions to their region’s water management issues, with a special focus on rain gardens. It was a success! Our students were excited to learn, connecting their classroom lessons with enriching field trips. One of the most heartwarming moments was witnessing Ahmir, a former star student, step into the role of facilitator. His enthusiasm and knowledge inspired the current students to envision their own paths of growth. "Thank you, Ahmir," we say with gratitude. 💚 The "Earn and Learn" program is the first step in Little Growers' larger vision of equipping youth to design and implement permaculture-based solutions in Melbourne. We are excited to be part of it! The world needs MORE programs like this! BOD is ready to develop a year-long High School Permaculture elective. But WE CAN’T DO IT WITHOUT YOU! Click here to make a 100% tax deductible investment in the education of our future leaders! It was a chance encounter in Fall of 2016. Monica, from BOD, was strolling past CPE2 when she noticed a parent tending to the school garden. A simple conversation blossomed into a partnership that has now spanned eight years! Our school year long program revolves around the outdoor garden and their greenhouse. Fall brings the joy of harvest and the art of seed saving, while Spring awakens with the excitement of preparing the garden for planting. Last year, we put our energy into designing and constructing a new outdoor classroom . We prepared the space for engaging, hands-on learning activities. This year, the fruits of our labor blossomed as our students from Pre-Kindergarten to 8th grade learned more about seeds and participated in harvesting them. The benefits of this program extend far beyond the garden's borders. For many of our students, it's a reconnection with their family heritage – a link to the memories of parents or grandparents who cultivated their own food or cherished their own gardens. In New York City, where the rhythm of nature often fades into the background, our garden provides a sanctuary – a safe place where children can learn, grow, and feel deeply connected to their environment. They witness the miracle of food production, the intricate roles of flowers and pollinators, observe the patterns of nature, and savor the delight of fresh vegetables. Our annual plant sales, held during the school's Spring and Fall festivals, were once again met with success. We are grateful to all who joined us and supported our sale! Now, we dream of expanding this transformative program. Our vision: a year-long permaculture elective for high school to continue the learning journey started here, in elementary. To bring this dream to fruition, we need your support. If this story resonates with you, we invite you to make a 100% tax-deductible investment in our collective future. https://abundantearthfoundation.org/bod/ Visit the program's website to learn more
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