Land To Learn

Land to Learn cultivates connection to food, land, and community by engaging youth in hands-on, garden-based education that nourishes health, ecological awareness, and collective well-being. We envision children growing up with deep respect for the land, their communities, and all living things, nourished by nutritious food and inspired to make joyful, culturally-grounded choices about their health. Through inclusive garden-based programs we cultivate resilience, curiosity, and equity in learning, while planting seeds for stronger local food systems, rooted in community, justice, and care for the earth. Our programs serve about 3,000 youth annually in New York’s Hudson Valley region. SproutEd, our flagship program, brings garden-based education to K-3rd grade students in public elementary schools in Kingston, Newburgh and Beacon, NY. We build school food gardens and teach monthly lessons throughout the school year, integrating gardening, nutrition, cooking, plant science, and environmental stewardship into hands-on learning experiences. Our comprehensive multi-year curriculum is experiential and engaging, helping students develop both academic and social-emotional skills. Lessons give students the chance to plant seeds, harvest vegetables, prepare nutritious snacks, and explore their connection to food, health, and the natural world. Beyond the garden classroom, we also support various wellness and environmental initiatives happening in our partner schools, including the promotion of fresh produce in cafeterias.