Grades of Green Students - Planting the Seeds of Change

Green space, park access, and trees

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

In California, there are 130,000 acres of public school land utilized daily by 6 million K-12 students. However, school grounds, the heart of every neighborhood, are heavily paved with few trees and little greenspace, significantly impacting the urban environment and community health.
In Hawthorne, CA, 90% of the communities are socioeconomically disadvantaged, facing high risks of climate change, limited access to green spaces and nutritional food, and exposure to air pollutants from nearby highways. For every 1,000 residents in Hawthorne, there is only 0.6 acres of parkland available, compared to the county average of 3.3 acres for LA County residents. Hawthorne's challenges include restricted space, funding shortages, and inequitable distribution of green spaces.
Schools in Hawthorne are situated in some of California's most environmentally impacted areas according to the CalEPA. Students and staff spend the majority of their days on campus, where they often consume all meals.

Partnering with Hawthorne School District, GOG will implement award-winning, project-based programs to empower students to plant and care for trees, green spaces, and gardens in 20 campuses. GOG’s programs uniquely enable student-led ongoing care and harvesting year after year.
Green schoolyards are more than playgrounds; they help mitigate pollution and climate change, enhance mental and physical health, improve educational outcomes, and foster social and emotional development. Students learn to cultivate food, compost organic waste, and nurture plants and animals. Gardens empower children as problem solvers, spark creativity through nature's possibilities, and enhance academic performance. essential life skills.
Trees play a crucial role in improving air quality, sequestering carbon dioxide, providing shade and cooling effects, generating oxygen, supporting wildlife habitats, and promoting physical and mental well-being.

Transforming schoolyards and opening them for community use enhances quality of life, promotes equity in access to recreational resources, fosters community connections, and supports environmental sustainability, creating vibrant and inclusive neighborhoods where residents can thrive.
With funding, GOG’s programs can achieve positive outcomes throughout LA County by partnering with additional school districts.
GOG recently secured a $500K 3-year EPA Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving grant for use in the Inglewood Schools, aimed at implementing tree planting and garden programs in every school. Following the student-led creation of an edible garden at Kelso School, a teacher noted, "The garden provides students with a calming mental break; gardening is relaxing." Another educator highlighted the garden's role in offering sustainable food options and educational opportunities.
Similar initiatives are underway in school districts across LA, including LBUSD and LAUSD.

GOG works extensively in the Los Angeles area, helping students create meaningful impact in their communities. This has accumulated in 347,278 students educated, over 3 million people reached, 11.5 million gallons of water saved, 6.6 million pounds of trash diverted from landfills, and 23,345 trees planted. GOG programs create a palpable difference in the schools and communities that directly work with. GOG programs are designed to educate students to effect immediate changes in their schools and communities, empower them to advocate for long-lasting change, develop their skills to become future environmental leaders and elevate their work and stories to inspire them to continue their journeys.
Every program/project requires metric reporting and community outreach analysis, published and available for the pubic. We are dedicated to celebrating our students’ successes and achievements. Notably, GOG students have earned three Presidential EPA awards for their outstanding contributions.