Author: Ninet Ayala, Marketing Communications Intern

In January 2022, Great River Greening kicked off a new youth program that connects students of color to the outdoors while helping them succeed in the classroom. The program – Future Stewards – builds native gardens on three school properties that serve as outdoor classrooms. 

Future Stewards uses hands-on environmental activities to directly connect students with their school curriculum. It’s also a way for kids to build leadership skills and think creatively by engaging them in project planning, design, implementation and maintenance. Through Future Stewards, we break down barriers among marginalized communities by giving students access to connect with nature and learn how to problem solve within the outdoors.

Future Stewards will work in partnership with three local schools during our pilot year – Minneapolis South High School’s All Nations Program, Garlough Elementary, and Two Rivers High School. Program activities include soil sampling, learning about and selecting plants for each garden, and working alongside their peers. Students also work with a Great River Greening  ecologist who draws a connection between hands-on activities and school curriculum such as biology, ecology, and the cultural significance of plants. These new learning experiences also give students a glimpse of possible career options including ecologist, landscape architect. volunteer manager, field crew and many more. 

Future Stewards’ unique combination of experiential learning, classroom instruction, career exploration, and family engagement ensures student success academically and personally. Our program is funded by the Opus Foundation along with a generous family foundation. 

Want to support Future Stewards? Consider a donation to help us engage 100+ kids and teens in outdoor learning.