School Gardens
Raising a generation connected to growing and the natural world.
Kids grow
At GrowOya we believe in the power of kids. We’re working to make the world a better place and believe that happy, thriving kids is one of the best ways to get there.
Getting kids into the garden has the obvious benefit of providing them a hands-on understanding of where food comes from, but the subtle things may be even more important. Gardening connects kids to nature and that connection results in kids who are calmer, more confident and have a deep-seeded love and appreciation for the natural world. From that love comes respect and a disposition for positive change. Call it horticultural therapy or playing in the dirt, the results are the same: kids that garden are more equipped to be a positive force in the world.
We’re not the only ones who believe in the powerful mix of kids and gardens. More and more schools and parents are seeking to incorporate gardens into school settings to provide new ways to teach and nurture kids. It just make sense to help our kids grow a better future.
GrowOya gives to school gardens
From the early days of GrowOya we’ve had kids in mind as we envisioned the future of our company. We’ve all seen first-hand how planting an Oya in your garden increases the odds of success. And success is the best teacher we know. We’ve also seen how planting Oyas with kids affords the perfect opportunity to start the conversation about water conservation. Kids get it. Sometimes more than big folks.
So, we’ve committed to focus all of our giving on school gardens. We’re giving every penny we can to spark and nurture the movement to provide all kids access to gardens at school. Our aims are simple:
- Get more kids growing — Food, flowers, annuals, perennials, we love it all. The power of growing your own is incredible and transformative.
- Increase their chance of success — Teachers are busy and schools run on tricky schedules. Planting with Oyas reduces the watering needs and increases the success of school gardens.
- Start kids water smart — Learning water-conscious growing teaches the principles of conservation and stewardship in a positive way that lets kids feel empowered about how their small actions can make a positive difference to help solve big issues.
We’re stepping up to see that more kids grow their own gardens in a water smart way. It’s our small contribution to raising a generation that is prepared for the challenges that lie ahead. We know it will benefit our communities and the planet.
Partnerships
To make it stick just a little bit more, we’ve joined 1% for the Planet, an organization that we greatly admire for their vision of turning business success into a social benefit. It’s a wildly impactful organization that will keep us honest in our pledge to give at least 1% of our gross revenue to school garden projects every year.
And we couldn’t think of a better partner to put those resources to use than our good friends at Compass Green. Compass Green is a school garden on wheels—an 18 ft box truck greenhouse that roams the country from school to school teaching practical gardening skills to kids. It’s an incredible truck with amazing staff doing wonderful work with kids. You really need to see Compass Green in action.
Through their efforts, Compass Green has touched thousands of kids at school gardens nationwide, leaving behind the skills and excitement to keep on growing. And now, we’re happy to say that they will also be leaving behind Oyas at select school gardens.
We’re feeling really lucky to be partnered up with such a dynamic organization making a huge positive impact with kids.
