Member Directory

Address	PO Box 5282 Charlottesville, Virginia 22905
Phone	(434) 260-3274
Website	http://www.cultivatecharlottesville.org
Primary Contact	Jeanette Abi-Nader
Primary Email	jeanette@cultivatecharlottesville.org
Executive Director	Jeanette Abi-Nader
Primary Focus Area	Education
Service Areas

Mission Statement

At City Schoolyard Garden (CSG) we have a vision: that young people thrive with the opportunity to engage with nature, to enhance their academic learning through hands-on experience, and to cultivate skills for healthy living. Launched in 2010, CSG’s mission reflects that vision – we cultivate academic achievement, health, environmental stewardship, and community engagement through garden-based, experiential learning and leadership development. CSG provides project-based gardening programs for youth in eight Charlottesville City Schools and summer programs.

Key Programs

Program 1
Title:	City Schoolyard Garden at Buford Middle School
Description:	Our flagship schoolyard garden at Buford Middle School in Charlottesville has been in place since 2010. We work in partnership with the administration of Buford Middle School to operate a 4,500 square foot educational garden on the Buford campus which serves as an outdoor classroom for teachers and students. Our full time Garden-Educator staff assists teachers in developing garden-based curriculum tied to the VA SOL's. After‐school cooking and gardening clubs provide opportunities for students to engage with healthy food and garden skills beyond their classroom experience. Throughout the summer, our Garden Educator works in the garden with city youth from summer camps to further the garden’s educational mission when school is not in session. This schoolyard garden model is slated for expansion to all six of the city's elementary schools and to Charlottesville High School.
Examples of Program Success:	“The garden was the one place where my grandson felt like he could be himself at school. It helped him connect with his older brother, through projects they brought home to do together. Being in the garden gave him confidence and pride. It helped him do better at school.” –CCS student’s grandmother “Historically, our African-American students' strongest SOL reporting category has been in the physical sciences. This past year, our African-American students' strongest reporting category was in the life sciences and experimental design. I believe City Schoolyard Garden's life science unit on the scientific method is a contributing factor to this change. The garden provides our students a meaningful context in which to learn about and experience life science. ” - Libby Kitten - Charlottesville City School Curriculum Director.
Total Program Budget:	$98,258
Category:	Youth Development

Program 2
Title:	City Schoolyard Garden Elementary School Program
Description:	The fall off 2013 marked the first full academic year for the Elementary School Program. This program includes gardens and garden coordinators in each of the six Charlottesville Elementary Schools. Combined, the elementary gardens cover around 4,750 square feet with each garden reflecting the character and uniqueness of that school’s community. Our diverse gardens include a native owl habitat, a Jeffersonian themed garden, worm compost bins, art in the garden, a recycled greenhouse, water catchment tanks, a butterfly garden, a garden choral group, seed saving, outdoor classroom space, and more. We host four afterschool garden clubs and estimate 6,400 elementary school student interactions this semester.
Examples of Program Success:	Together, City Schoolyard Garden programs cultivate the skills for ecological literacy and healthy living through growing gardens, enhance students’ academic experience with hands-on learning units, and engage youth in the wonder and curiosity of nature.
Total Program Budget:	$132,000
Category:	Education/Instruction

Giving Opportunities

Opportunity 1