Green Our Planet Brings Gardens and Hydroponics to 1,200 Communities Nationwide, Thanks to the Engelstad Foundation

Thanks to a recent second grant from the Engelstad Foundation, Las Vegas-based nonprofit Green Our Planet expands its work to bring outdoor gardens and hydroponics laboratories to hundreds more communities across Nevada and beyond.

By the end of 2024, the organization will be working with over 1,200 schools, libraries and food pantries in all 50 states. Erin McGarry, Chief Granting Officer from the Engelstad Foundation comments, “In many minds and long ago, Las Vegas was written off as a desert incapable of being a hub for gardening or growing food. Green Our Planet has trumped those perceptions in Las Vegas and well beyond, growing to be one the largest school garden and hydroponic programs in the country. The partnership between the Engelstad Foundation and Green Our Planet has been fruitful and synergistic. We hope others see the importance in teaching the next generation that access to fresh food and related education should not be a luxury, but available to everyone daily.”

In addition to helping provide communities access to fresh food, Green Our Planet’s HydroConnect and GardenConnect programs in schools train teachers how to teach STEM, conservation, nutrition and entrepreneurship to students in an engaging way using hydroponics laboratories and outdoor gardens.

Ciara Byrne, CEO of Green Our Planet comments, “Our partnership with the Engelstad Foundation is critical to our success in helping build a school garden and hydroponics movement across the country to empower students, particularly in lower-income communities, to have the opportunity to become the next generation of scientists, conservationists, farmers, chefs and entrepreneurs.”

The HydroConnect and GardenConnect programs include training students in financial literacy and entrepreneurship to run farmers’ markets at their schools.

Green Our Planet’s vision is to create a nationwide event hosting over one thousand student-run farmers markets in rural areas, towns and cities across the country uniting communities by Earth Day 2026.

For more information about Green Our Planet, please visit GreenOurPlanet.org.

About Green Our Planet:
Green Our Planet is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that connects students to the wonders of the universe through indoor and outdoor school gardens.

Green Our Planet’s Garden programming increases academic performance, heightens environmental conscientiousness, and fosters healthy eating habits in students nationwide while alleviating food deserts where fresh produce is inaccessible.

As one of the largest school garden programs in the United States, Green Our Planet is cultivating a resilient future generation of STEM leaders and conservationists, one seed at a time.

For more information or to apply for a garden, visit www.GreenOurPlanet.org

Fans can also keep up with the latest Green Our Planet news and events through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Engelstad Foundation
The Engelstad Foundation was created in 2002 by Ralph & Betty Engelstad for the purpose of partnering to create solutions in medical research, improving day-to-day living for people with disabilities and raising the possibilities for high-risk individuals.

Since its inception, the Foundation has provided more than $500 million in grants to organizations focused on animal compassion, at-risk individuals, education, historical preservation, medical research and support, people with disabilities and veterans.

For additional information, visit www.engelstadfoundation.com.