Green Your City

Sustainable Initiative by youth, for youth

WHAT IS GYC?

A youth-driven provincial program that provides resources to help students start up their own edible school gardens

Promotes sustainable food production and healthy lifestyle

Includes: A community seed library A mentorship program Garden 101 workshops

WHY GREEN (Y)OUR CITY?

Educate youth on food systems Create an inter-generational community

that collaborates towards a sustainable future

Integrate horticulture with urban living Promote student interest in gardening

GOALS

Goal (2013-2014 school year): Establish gardens at all Burnaby high

schools. Build both flower and vegetable gardens

within Fair Haven facility

Long term goals: Enable elementary and high school

students across B.C to build school gardens

Promote organic, heirloom seeds via distributing seeds through community seed library

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Mentorship program: Connects experienced gardeners with youth

mentees through online platform Flexible around mentors’ needs

Community Seed Library: Donated seeds given to schools with mentors;

harvested to create a continual cycle

Garden 101 Workshops

Sponsored by Salt Spring Seeds, T&T Seeds, and Incredible Seeds

CURRENT PROJECTS

Burnaby South Secondary: Five plots of edible gardens,

will expand in spring (outdoor troughs)

Developing indoor greenhouse

Fair Haven United Church Homes: Fall: spring bulbs for garden Spring: plant vegetables,

which will be tended to by both student volunteers and seniors

SPONSORS

Donations of seeds from various companies such as T and T seeds, and even from gardeners

Rona will give us last year’s equipment such as shovels, and damaged plants that we can revive

A landscaping business is offering to donate free soil to us

Received a small grant from Vancity, and are applying for more

SCHOOLS

-Gotten several schools on board, through environmental outreach events such as the Metro Vancouver Youth 4 Tap Summit

-Most of the Burnaby schools have an initiative to start a school garden this year.

-We are contacting schools to see what they need -If they need any soil or seeds -Alpha Secondary is going to have a mentor come

to their school and tell them what to plant -Moscrop Secondary is going to receive donations of

seeds for their new school garden

OTHER

Found indoor storage space for seeds and equipment, and an outdoor one, only we need to fence it in

Seeking non-profit organization status Advertising video for Green Your City Received approval from Master

Gardeners as a community project, and they will also assist us in giving us mentors, and other possible supplies

WHAT WE NEED

Sponsors and supplies for schools Mentors Reach out to schools Reach out to public through media

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Schools in need of mentors:

Burnaby:Moscrop SecondaryAlpha SecondaryBurnaby South SecondaryBurnaby Central SecondaryBurnaby North Secondary

New Westminster:New Westminster Secondary

Richmond:J.N Burnett Secondary

VancouverEric Hamber Secondary

Maple Ridge:Garibaldi Secondary:

OTHER WAYS TO HELP

Donations: Fair Haven project: spring bulbs, vegetable seeds,

compost, bone meal Community Seed Library Schools’ “wish list”

Shovels, trowels, soil

Networks: Contacts to garden stores, nurseries, companies

that build irrigation systems, planter boxes, etc. Available grants

Informational resources: Links, blogs, useful videos, etc.

Website: http://greenyourcity.caContact: greenyourcity@gmail.com