History

Founding

Collective Roots was founded by Holly Taylor, Amanda Feld, Adam Mitchell in 2000 at Belle Haven School in Menlo Park. There the young program focused on three initiatives: involving students and community members in the planting of multiple garden spaces; establishing a weekly after-school Garden Club that attracted students across multiple grade levels; and initiating a pilot program with ten teachers to begin integrating garden-centered learning into their curricula.

Program Flourishes

By June 2002, our Garden Club averaged more than 25 students per week; and two neglected courtyards were transformed into flourishing gardens through the hard work of our students, teachers, parents, and the community-at-large. The gardens became a source of pride in the neighborhood and provided an avenue for parents to become actively engaged in their children's school.

A New School Partner

A leadership change at Belle Haven, coupled with cuts in district funding, prompted CRGP to seek a new community partner that would provide both the physical space and the support to grow and replicate the successful elements of our program, enabling us to serve more students. In January 2003, Collective Roots relocated to EPACS, a year-round public K-8 charter school committed to providing innovative learning opportunities and improving academic achievement. We realized that EPACS provided a fertile environment for Collective Roots' growth - in terms of both its existing garden spaces as well as strong faculty support.

Growing Roots

At EPACS, Collective Roots has developed a program with strong support from students, faculty, and community members. Our hands-on lessons in the garden teach students in grades K-8 about sustainable agriculture and nature, nutrition, science, math, and language arts. Collective Roots became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in June 2003.

The school garden at EPACS has grown to become a flagship garden approaching nearly an acre in size. The garden offers many exciting features including an outdoor kitchen, a giant green dome, a fruit orchard, solar power, a pond, vermiculture, composting, and more.

Collective Roots expanded in 2007 to include providing garden based learning at Willow Oaks Elementary School in Belle Haven, a Ravenswood City School District school located in a neighborhood of Menlo Park.

In 2007, Collective Roots replaced its website with a content management system that provides rich content for education and action, collaboration with community partners, and many interactive features including "ROOTPEDIA," forums, online curriculum, and much more.

Collective Roots also expanded its work in 2007 to include food systems change and environmental work in the community of East Palo Alto. Collective Roots is supporting a community wide effort to organize a community based farmers' market in East Palo Alto, and is also supporting the East Palo Alto Tree Initiative.

The Future

With the support of an active Board of Directors and many community partners, Collective Roots is working to strengthen our reach into schools and communities to further our mission and provide excellent environmental science and nutrition education opportunities to East Palo Alto students. This year we are exploring opportunities to expand to other schools in San Mateo and Santa Clara County.